The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, the independent regulator. I have no function in the matter of the enabling of exchanges owned by private companies.
As a private company, Eircom is not obliged to inform my Department about its plans concerning future upgrades to its broadband service. However, I welcome the recent announcement by Eircom that it is committing an extra €30 million to enabling 319 exchanges over the next coming years, in order to allow up to 140,000 new customers to connect to a broadband enabled exchange.