The report referred to by the Deputy uses OECD data from 2008 to measure broadband prices and performance in Ireland. The competitive broadband market in Ireland is delivering improved services and keener pricing which are not represented in 2008 data. A cable service provider is now providing broadband speeds up to 30 megabits per second (mbs) and rolling out speeds up to 100 mbs, other service providers launched speeds up to 24 mbs in January 2010 and have introduced wholesale broadband products for residential and commercial markets offering speeds up to 8 mbs uncontested and 1000 mbs respectively, at keener prices than previously prevailed.
The latest OECD data ranks Ireland 11th of 29 countries for monthly broadband subscription prices across all platforms and ranges. A more recent report on broadband services in 72 countries by the University of Oxford and the University of Oviedo, Spain, concluded that the broadband services currently available in Ireland are capable of meeting the requirements of today's broadband applications and overall, in terms of broadband quality and penetration, ranks Ireland 13th of the 72 countries studied.