Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 November 2009
39 Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will comment on the reported deal between companies (details supplied) for satellite services; the number of households he expects to be provided with satellite broadband; if this number has changed since the announcement of the national broadband scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43362/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe national broadband scheme contract guarantees that broadband connectivity will be available to all of the buildings within the NBS coverage areas. In recognition of the fact that some areas will be very costly and technologically challenging to reach using standard infrastructure, a limited number of residences and businesses in the NBS coverage area might be covered by a satellite service.
The NBS contract defines specific thresholds and circumstances under which satellite can be deployed and allows for a maximum of 8% of residences and businesses to be served utilising satellite technology. 3 Ireland anticipates the actual deployment of satellite will be approximately 5% of residences and businesses within the NBS coverage area. It is a matter for the NBS service provider, 3 Ireland, to decide where a satellite solution will be deployed, provided that the overall number of residences and businesses served by satellite does not exceed thresholds defined at a county level and for the NBS as a whole. As a commercial matter, 3 Ireland has entered into a contract with two satellite providers on a non-exclusive basis for the provision of the NBS satellite service. I understand that Avanti is one of these companies.
I thank the Minister for his reply. This raises issues concerning the standard, quality, speed and cost of broadband. There is a danger that because the Minister wants to say he is providing universal coverage the service he will provide will not be acceptable. A business woman in my constituency has satellite broadband but she finds that because of the time delays it is totally inappropriate and almost useless and she cannot access corporate networks.
The other complaint I received relates to schools which have satellite at present. The service is completely inadequate. It is not sufficient for the Minister to trumpet that schools will have good systems in place when small rural schools depend on satellite. He must accept a basic standard should apply across the board rather than simply dealing with numbers. Irish Rural Link has stated some 12,000 households are not within the national broadband scheme. What is happening to these?
I will outline some of the standards set within the national broadband scheme. Satellite services must provide a 1 megabit download and 128 kilobyte upload speed, with a maximum contention ratio of 48:1, a round trip latency of 800 milliseconds and an 11 gigabyte, ten down and one up inclusive monthly allowance limit. These are technical details. As the technology develops we intend to continue to upgrade it and improve standards. I understand from talking to people in the industry that improvement in satellite provision continues. Undoubtedly, there have been difficulties——
There are difficulties.
——including slow or latent problems, in some of the schools referred to by the Deputy. However, technology is developing and we are determined to continue to push for the highest possible standard within the available support schemes.
I refer to the 12,000 houses which may be in electoral districts that cannot be covered by the NBS due to market distortion factors that would come into play. We contacted the European Union in respect of a stimulus package which provides for the development of rural broadband schemes as part of the agriculture and rural development programme. We seek to put in place a scheme to provide services largely by satellite. However, we will not rule out other technological solutions for those houses and our intention is that no house is left behind.
What is the Minister saying to the 12,000 people not covered by the NBS and who cannot access broadband at the moment? Is he saying they should wait and see what the Minister produces in terms of negotiations with the European Commission? Many such people come to offices such as mine and ask if they should spend €500 or €700 in capital investment on installing a satellite dish in their houses, such that they can receive satellite broadband. Should they wait for a national broadband scheme type solution that will help with the costs? What is the Minister saying to such people in terms of the timescale for a decision?
Our policy is working in terms of providing for a range of platforms. I have deliberately set out a process whereby——
What should the 12,000 people without broadband do now?
——through competition and collaboration, evolving technological solutions are available, not only through satellite but also through WiMax and mobile broadband. This is a changing landscape due to the competitive forces at play. We must recognise some houses in this competitive landscape will not be provided with services. We have approached the European Commission and indicated we wish to avail of the rural development scheme for broadband. We wish to provide a scheme for such broadband applications.
When can we expect that?
We expect it will be in place next year and rolled out at that stage. I cannot give a specific time because I do not wish to give a commitment until the matter is cleared completely with the European Commission. However, we are working flat out on the issue and it will be part of a range of measures put in place to secure ubiquitous coverage and the availability of faster speeds, which we will need.
The Minister referred to the problems encountered by schools. I refer to one school in particular in which the principal has indicated it takes a full school day to upload three or four photographs onto the website. That is the poor standard at issue, in case he gets carried away with technical detail.
I refer specifically to the national broadband scheme. A supplier is reported to have trouble providing sufficient capacity to meet the needs of users. If there are additional users who seek to avail of satellite services, is the Minister convinced the capacity will be in place to meet the need?
I have heard no details of capacity problems as such. However, one of the benefits of the national broadband scheme is certain standards must be complied with for State support to be triggered. We can guarantee quality in this way.
That is in the case of one of the suppliers which has already done a deal.
If the Deputy has information, she may wish to pass it to me. The analysis carried out by the Department indicates the scheme is meeting its targets in terms of roll-out, which is not easy. There are many planning difficulties and people hold concerns throughout the country about the deployment of masts and so on. However, the companies are working to meet these deadlines and to meet the standards, whether for satellite or mobile solutions, to provide the minimum service standards set out in the contractual arrangements.
I suggest the Minister investigates that matter.
We must move on.
He has an entire Department at his disposal.
If the Deputy submits information, I will follow it up.
