In April, I published an updated High-Speed Broadband Map which is available at: www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area. The Map is searchable by Eircode. Eir signed an agreement with me in April last committing to follow through on its commercial plans to provide new high-speed broadband infrastructure to 300,000 premises in rural areas. Eir has committed to doing this work over a 90-week period. With regard to this roll-out, decisions as to when areas and premises are served, is an operational matter for eir. I have no input in that process.
Quarterly updates on progress of the eir 300k roll-out are published on my Department’s website. Eir has confirmed to my Department that 100,000 premises have been passed as at the end of September 2017. The 300,000 figure includes over 6,000 premises in County Westmeath. My Department will be monitoring this rollout to ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department's website: www.dccae.gov.ie.
The map shows that 100% of the townland of Ballynacarrigy, County Westmeath, and 99% of the townland of Ballymore, County Westmeath, fall within eir's 300k planned rural deployment. The remaining 1% of the townland of Ballymore falls within the State Intervention Area. Therefore, depending on the exact Eircode of the address the premises may either be in a BLUE or AMBER area of the High-Speed Broadband Map.
Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available from eir at: http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup. Citizens can access this website to determine the connectivity availability status for their premise using their Eircode. The website also provides a list of retail service providers who offer services using high-speed fibre network in the area.
Those premises within the State Intervention area form part of my Department's ongoing procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll out a new high-speed broadband network. A significant milestone in that procurement process was reached last week with the submission of "Detailed Solutions" by two bidders. This is the last stage of the procurement process before receipt of final tenders and ultimate progression to the appointment of a preferred bidder(s).
