Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 April 2024
128. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he is aware that the connection of high-speed broadband to Glendalough (details supplied) is facing an additional delay to July 2025; the reason for this additional delay; whether the connection of the Glendalough area can be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17634/24]
View answerIn 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
NBI reports that all 955 Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) sites have been installed before the end of 2023, of which 283 are publicly accessible Broadband Connection Point sites now connected with high-speed broadband service through a service provider contract with Vodafone. The remaining 672 installed SCPs are part of the SCP Schools Programme.
The remaining targets will be achieved through commercial operators investing in their networks, complemented by the State’s National Broadband Plan intervention. When taken together, all premises in the State will have access to high-speed broadband in every part of the country no matter how remote.
The Question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website, www.broadband.gov.ie.
The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention.
The latest information on when high-speed broadband will become available to this premises can be found on National Broadband Ireland’s (NBI) website at nbi.ie/map/. This website is regularly updated providing the expected timeline for delivery and status of any works that are initiated at any point in time. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
NBI have advised that they are actively working to rollout high-speed fibre broadband in the Glendalough area as quickly as possible. The route of the network rollout is not based on cost or an economic model. Instead, it’s based on an engineering design that allows NBI to get to every premises as quickly as possible, working within the confines of how fibre networks are built and utilising existing infrastructure wherever possible.
NBI provides the public with indicative rollout dates, based on the best information available at any given time. However, with the aforementioned factors alongside specific circumstances that may arise that are out of NBI's control, dates are subject to change. Project and Network teams are diligently working to build the NBI Fibre Network in the area as quickly as possible.
