My Department's activities in the area of providing broadband infrastructure and services are a key element of the Government's plans for the development of the information society, as outlined in the report, New Connections. The widest possible availability of competitive services, including the widespread availability of affordable broadband access, has traditionally been an important objective of Irish telecommunications policy.
While the provision of communications infrastructure and services is a matter for the private sector companies that operate in the fully liberalised telecommunications market, my Department has undertaken a number of initiatives to accelerate and promote investment in telecommunications infrastructure. These investments will enhance the potential for the development of electronic commerce facilities and enable the electronic provision of public services, including education services, virtual libraries and welfare and health services.
In 1999, 13 projects rolling out broadband infrastructure nationwide to a value of €70 million were supported and are now completed. Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, approximately €200 million was allocated under the two regional communications and e-commerce measures. To date, ten private sector contracts have been signed under the plan. Projects funded include the construction of a new national fibre-optic backbone by ESB Telecom, the development of regional e-commerce centres by Energis, the extension by Esat of its national network and the acceleration of the Esat and Eircom roll-out of DSL. My Department is also funding the construction of open-access metropolitan area fibre-optic networks in more than 19 towns and in the Liberties-Coombe area of Dublin to facilitate the provision by the private sector of advanced communications services to consumers, educational establishments and business. It is expected that these projects will be completed progressively over the next two years at a cost in the region of €60 million. Construction of networks has commenced in Cork and Galway and will commence shortly in Mayo. Further projects will commence once contracts have been completed, about which I will let the House know.
There have also been some recent significant regulatory developments to improve access to the information society.
Additional informationOn 21 February 2003 I issued policy directions to the Commission for Communications Regulations in accordance with section 13 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002. They focus on a number of key policy priorities for the commission in the short to medium term, including the introduction of flat-rate Internet access. These policy directions, together with a report on the public consultation process, have been published on my Department's website. The text of the policy directions, together with the reasons for their introduction, have also been published in Iris Oifigiúil in accordance with the Communications Regulation Act 2002.