Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 July 2014
435. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when the Government will proceed to invest up to €512 million in the rural fibre broadband network scheme that was announced last April; and the timeframe in which this scheme will be rolled out in Drumkeerin, County Leitrim. [30965/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s National Broadband Plan, which was published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses. This will be achieved by providing a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment; and a State-led intervention for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest.
Since publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway and in some instances have been accelerated in both fixed line and wireless high speed broadband services. Commercial operators combined have either invested, or committed to invest, approximately €2.5 billion in their Irish networks, delivering high speed broadband to homes and businesses.
As a result of this accelerated investment the addressable area required by the State-led intervention has been reduced by 30% since the National Broadband Plan was launched. While the commercial developments are welcome the acceleration of investment is largely contained to cities and towns. Consequently, the speeds that are available in these areas are demonstrably better than those that are available in more rural areas.
On 25 April last, the Government's commitment to a major telecommunications network build-out to rural Ireland, with fibre as the foundation of its investment, as part of the State-led intervention under the National Broadband Plan was announced. This commitment is a clear expression of Government’s determination to address the connectivity challenge in rural Ireland in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Central to the strategy will be a long term, future proofed infrastructure build with next generation backhaul infrastructure (likely to be primarily fibre based) as the key component underpinning whatever access technology delivers the service (fixed or wireless). This infrastructure build will extend to locations in every county in the State identified as having no existing or planned enabling fibre network. It will be part of an end-to-end strategy that will address all parts of Ireland that cannot access commercial high speed broadband services.
A comprehensive mapping exercise is underway in my Department which will identify those areas that will require a State intervention. A county-by-county list of towns and villages which have already been identified for a fibre build-out has been published and is available on my Department's website, www.dcenr.gov.ie . Currently, a total of 33 areas in County Leitrim, including Drumleerin, have been identified as requiring an intervention. This is an indicative list and is subject to the completion of the mapping exercise. Further locations may be identified as this process continues. Similarly, it may be determined that some locations on the list will be addressed by the commercial sector and will therefore not require State intervention.
I would point out that the EU Commission’s guidelines on State aid for high speed broadband infrastructure preclude Member States from intervening in regions in which private investors have demonstrated plans to roll out their own infrastructure within the following three years. In this regard, I understand that at least one network operator has published a programme to roll out 15 fibre based broadband networks in County Leitrim by July 2016. Furthermore, the recent announcement regarding a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone includes a proposal to provide high speed broadband to Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim.
A stakeholder consultation on the implementation of the State-led intervention has recently been launched. This consultation, among other things, seeks views on the proposed criteria to be used in finalising those locations which require a State intervention. The outcome of this consultation will enable finalisation of the mapping exercise, which I expect will be concluded in the autumn.
In tandem with the completion of the mapping exercise, intensive design and planning work is ongoing in my Department with a view to producing a detailed end to end strategy for the State-led intervention. It is my intention to conduct a full public consultation on the outcome of the mapping process and the proposed strategy. EU State aid clearance will also be required for the intervention once finalised. This will be followed by a detailed procurement process with a view to commencing construction of the fibre network and provision of services in identified areas as quickly as possible.
