Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2017
219. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when e-fibre broadband will be extended to an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47457/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector so that to date approximately 1.5m or 65% of the 2.3m premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband and this footprint is expanding. By 2020, 90% of premises In Ireland will have access high speed broadband.
In 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 map shows that of the 56 premises in the townland of Ballyhide, 46% fall within the AMBER area, 13% are in BLUE areas and 41% are in LIGHT BLUE.
Individuals can themselves check whether their premises are in an AMBER, BLUE or LIGHT BLUE area by accessing the High Speed Broadband Map and entering their Eircode at www.broadband.gov.ie. The premises at the Eircode detailed by the Deputy is in the LIGHT BLUE area and is part of eir's planned rural deployment of high speed broadband.
My Department is engaged in an on-going procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network for the State led intervention. A significant milestone in that process was reached in September 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).
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.
