Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 November 2023
30. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if ComReg will investigate the poor mobile coverage at a location (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51203/23]
View answerThe roll-out of infrastructure for mobile telecommunications services in Ireland is primarily a matter for private mobile network operators, operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). ComReg is statutorily independent in the exercise of its functions in accordance with section 11 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002.
My officials have investigated the area in the details supplied, and see that coverage for 2G services is reported as good from all operators and 3G and 4G services are reported as fair. However to assist consumers to choose the network provider that best meets their needs, ComReg continually updates and enhances its online national outdoor mobile coverage map (available at: Service Coverage - Commission for Communications Regulation (comreg.ie), which provides clear information on the level of coverage provided by operators.
The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce has been in operation since 2016 and has been a driving force for improving access to telecommunications services nationwide. The Taskforce continues to implement actions specifically designed to remove barriers to telecoms infrastructure rollout. Through the work of the Taskforce, providers have now made Wifi calling available for all consumers. This allows consumers to benefit from using their in home Wifi to make mobile voice calls, thus significantly improving the availability of indoor mobile coverage.
