Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 12 Dec 1990

Vol. 403 No. 9

Written Answers. - Franchises for MMDS Service.

Edward Nealon

Ceist:

67 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Communications the names of the companies allocated franchises for the MMDS service; the areas covered by each franchise; the state of readiness for transmission which has been reached in each of these areas; and the estimated date of the beginning of transmission in each area.

Minister for Communications, (Mr. Burke)

The following table sets out the companies and their approximate franchises. MMDS franchise boundaries will not follow county boundaries precisely.

MMDS service is available in Galway and Kildare and in a limited way in Limerick. Transmitters are operating on a test basis in Louth and Wexford and the operator hopes to be making service available on a commercial basis in the coming weeks.

In the other franchises primary transmitter sites have been identified by the operators and are either being evaluated by my Department or awaiting planning decisions. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 24 and 36 on 27 November, 1990, columns 41 to 42, volume 403, number one of the Official Report for that day.

Table

Company	Franchise
Cablelink Limited	(i) Dublin
10 Pembroke Place	(ii) Galway/Mayo
Dublin 4	(iii) Waterford (part)
Cork Communications	Cork and West Waterford
Abbey Court House
Georges Quay
MDS Limited	(i) Kerry, Limerick, Clare
Westward Cables Mungret Street	(ii) Roscommon, Longford, Leitrim (part), Westmeath, Kildare (part), Offaly
Limerick
MMDS Television Limited	Tipperary, Kilkenny, Laois (part), Carlow
Suir Nore Relays
51 John Street
Kilkenny
Independent Wireless	(i) Wicklow, Wexford
Cable Limited	(ii) Cavan, Louth, Monaghan, Meath
Fishery Lane
Naas
County Kildare
Cable Management of Ireland Limited	Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim (part)
20, Sherriff Street
Dublin 1