Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 November 2023
106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the ongoing steps to support remote working through the roll-out of high-speed fibre broadband connections to the internet, with particular reference to blackspot-prone rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50483/23]
View answer109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent, if any, to which deficiencies in the availability of adequate broadband facilities continues to be identified in all areas throughout County Kildare; the remedial action in hand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50486/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 106 together.
In December 2022, my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets, including that:
• all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028;
• all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030, and
• digital connectivity will be delivered to all schools and broadband connection points by 2023.
• These targets will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and through the State investment in National Broadband Ireland (NBI).
• The Digital Connectivity Strategy will lead to more balanced regional development, supporting the green transition, facilitating greater access to regional talent and skills and will assist with the implementation of the Government’s Remote Working Strategy, Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, and Project Ireland 2040.
• Commercial operators’ fibre rollouts are progressing at pace. Open eir have already passed over 53,200 homes and businesses with gigabit services in Co. Kildare with plans to pass a further c.23,000 premises passed over the next 2 – 3 years, bringing their total fibre-based investment in the county to over €35m., Other commercial operators are also continuing to increase their network footprint right across Kildare, with SIRO recently passing over 28,000 premises for full fibre, and Virgin Media passing over 44,800 premises
• Along with the progress made by commercial operators’ in expanding their next generation networks throughout the State, the National Broadband Plan intervention contract provides for the roll out of a high speed and future-proofed broadband network to primarily rural areas. The intervention area covers over 1.1 million people living and working in over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.
• I am advised by NBI that, over 200,000 premises are passed across 26 counties and available for immediate connection. Over 60,000 premises are already connected to the NBP high-speed broadband network. In the Deputy’s own county of Kildare, over 4,000 premises are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection with 1,488 premises now connected.
• Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. These sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development. In County Kildare all 3 BCP’s have been installed to date. These are available free of charge and can be used by those yet to received high speed broadband commercially or under the NBP Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-map/ .
• NBI also reports that the necessary infrastructure is installed in 669 Primary Schools in the Intervention area with 29 installed by other operators as agreed with the Department of Education and the remaining installed by NBI. NBI reports that 500 schools have been connected and are live. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/ .
• Further details are available on specific areas within County Kildare can be monitored via nbi.ie/reps. A county update can be selected to provide the overall number of premises in the Intervention Area, the overall NBP investment in the county, the number of premises passed and connected to date and the status of each of the Deployment Areas with the anticipated date for connection over the lifetime of the project. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie , which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
• Recent ComReg data shows that Quarter 2, 2023 saw a 7.4% increase in fibre broadband subscriptions compared to the first 3 months of the year, and a 33.7% increase when compared to Quarter 2 of 2022. This demonstrates that take-up of fibre connectivity for homes and businesses is increasing massively as it is deployed to areas where it had previously been unavailable. The same ComReg data also indicates that c.40% of homes and business throughout the State now have access to gigabit services through either fibre (576,856) or cable (359,669) infrastructure.
