Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
475. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the date for the roll-out of high speed broadband for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8497/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing verification by an official from my Department I can confirm that the premises referred to by the Deputy is in an AMBER area on my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. It is therefore included in the State intervention area under the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company that will rollout a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area. That procurement process is now in its final stages. “Detailed Solutions” have been evaluated by the NBP specialist team. This is the last stage of the procurement process before moving to the final tender stage, which will be followed by the appointment of a preferred bidder and contract signature. When the procurement process reaches a satisfactory conclusion and a subsidy level has been approved by Government, a contract will be awarded and the network rollout will commence.
In the interim, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.
Under this Taskforce, 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.
