Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
986. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding fibre broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46500/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn April I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie , which outlines how premises around the country will be able to access a high speed broadband service. Premises are separated by colour into 3 categories.
- The AMBER areas on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the areas that will require State Intervention.
- The BLUE areas represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
- LIGHT BLUE areas are part of eir’s planned rural deployment of high speed broadband to 300,000 premises.
The Castlemaine Community Centre is in a BLUE area. BLUE areas are parts of the country where commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated plans to do so. While I have no statutory authority to intervene in the day to day operations of commercial operators, my Department is collating information in relation to individual cases where commercial plans to provide access to high speed broadband to premises within a BLUE area do not materialise. I would encourage the manager of Castlemaine Community Centre to provide my Department Broadband@dccae.gov.ie with details of the attempts made by the centre to access a high speed broadband connection, with a view to my Department engaging further on this issue.
The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) will ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. Where commercial plans to provide access to high speed broadband to premises within a BLUE area do not materialise, it is my intention that the implementation of the National Broadband Plan will ultimately overcome these issues and that all premises will be able to access high-speed broadband services.
To improve both mobile and broadband services in rural Ireland in advance of the roll-out of the high speed broadband network to be built in the State intervention area, I established, in July 2016, a Task force to identify solutions which can be implemented in the short, medium and long term to alleviate mobile phone and broadband coverage deficits, to identify priority areas for roll-out and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers. These solutions will enhance the existing services prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the NBP State led intervention.
Under this Task force, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. There is a link to a list of these local Broadband Officers on my Department's website.
