Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2018
78. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to review the contract for the roll-out of broadband to enable flexibility in order that the contractor can extend the roll-out when it is logical to do so but the mapping excise is preventing it from doing so. [37621/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan is an initiative to provide high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland and will be delivered through both commercial investment, and where there is no commercial solution, services will be provided by State led intervention as part of the NBP.
In April 2017, I signed a Commitment Agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide High speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website, www.dccae.gov.ie.
In conjunction with this Commitment Agreement, my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie, was updated to reflect eir’s plans. Premises included in eir’s deployment were marked LIGHT BLUE. This information is based on information submitted to my Department by eir and other commercial operators throughout the country.
The Commitment Agreement signed between myself and eir relates only to these 300k premises and the company’s obligation to pass them with high speed broadband. It does not preclude the company from including extra premises in its deployment should it wish to do so.
Decisions made by private telecommunication operators relating to the rollout and siting of infrastructure to provide high speed broadband services throughout Ireland are undertaken on a commercial basis by competing service providers operating in a liberalised market.
I have no statutory role or function to intervene in the commercial decisions of private operators, and therefore cannot direct operators regarding infrastructure installation or delivery of services.
Data for Q2 2018 submitted by eir to my Department indicates that the company has passed some 175,000 premises nationwide as part of its on-going deployment.
