Richard Bruton
Ceist:44 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the estimated cost of providing broad band telecommunications to the inhabited off-coast islands. [27387/01]
Written Answers. - Telecommunications Services.
A figure for the estimated cost of providing broadband communications to the inhabited off-coast islands is not available. Údarás na Gaeltachta has commissioned a report on telecommunications in Gaeltacht and island areas and a summary of this report is available. While the report does not cost the delivery of broadband services to these regions, it does discuss the issues involved.
The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is a matter in the first instance for the companies who now operate in a fully liberalised market. The cost of providing broadband connectivity to a particular area or community would depend on the size of the area involved, its distance from existing networks and the type of technology being employed, be it fibre optic, DSL, wireless or satellite. Beyond infrastructure build costs, any private entity delivering broadband services would also need to take into consideration ongoing business costs such as maintenance and marketing.
My responsibility is for public policy in the sector within which these companies operate. I have, in recent years, put in place a number of initiatives, which seek to address gaps in communications infrastructure in Ireland, particularly by bringing broadband connectivity to regional and rural areas.
Under the National Development Plan 1994-1999, 26 million was made available to support the roll-out of broadband to the regions. Some 13 projects which rolled-out broadband nation-wide were supported and are now nearing completion. The figure allocated to telecommunications initiatives has been significantly increased under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, to 200 million.