Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2011
321 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the level of Internet service in an area (details supplied) in County Cork; the way this service can be improved in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25836/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of electronic communications services is, in the first instance, a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Broadband services are provided by a number of private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite.
The Government has undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where operators have been unable to offer services on a commercial basis. In the case of one such intervention, namely the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), broadband services are available from "3", in all of the 1,028 Electoral Divisions (ED) designated to be covered under the Scheme. This includes the area of Ballydesmond which is located in Williamstown ED.
My Department and its external consultants actively monitor coverage within the NBS areas. The NBS contract guarantees service levels and imposes a service credit regime on "3" with financial consequences in the event that minimum specification service levels are not met. Any NBS customer experiencing problems with the NBS service can contact 3's customer care centre 24 hours a day 7 days a week by phone at 1913 (free of charge). Additionally, a team of field engineers has been established to address NBS specific maintenance issues at customer's premises. My Department has a role when customers have fully utilised the established complaints process. It operates a dedicated NBS mailbox, which NBS customers can contact by email (nationalbroadbandscheme@nbs.ie) with any comments or complaints they may have about their NBS service.
As regards future broadband initiatives, under the NewERA proposals in the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to co-invest with the private sector and commercial Semi State sector to provide Next Generation Broadband customer access to every home and business in the State. In June of this year I convened the Next Generation Broadband Taskforce which I chair and which also comprises the Minister of State with responsibility for NewERA, Mr. Fergus O'Dowd, T.D., the CEOs of all of the major telecommunications companies currently operating in the Irish market and CEOs of some Internet Service Provider companies. I expect that the Taskforce will help to identify the optimal policy to deliver wider customer access to high-speed broadband generally, including in areas in county Cork, and thereby assist in delivering on the commitment in the Programme for Government.
