Thomas Byrne
Ceist:60. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he is satisfied with the level of broadband coverage in County Meath. [3249/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 January 2019
Ceisteanna (60)
Freagraí scríofa
The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every home, school and business in Ireland has access to high speed broadband. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment across the country, and a State intervention in those areas where commercial operators acting alone are unlikely to invest. There are approximately 85,300 premises in County Meath. Since December 2015, the number of premises with access to high speed broadband in Meath has increased by 31,564, a 36% increase. In total, the number of premises in Meath with access to high speech broadband is 62,934, or 74% of total premises in the county. Another 2,468 will be served by eir under that company’s ongoing rural deployment.
The remaining 19,905 homes, schools and businesses in Meath will be connected under the Government’s National Broadband Plan.
In April 2017 my Department 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 under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and searchable by address or Eircode.
The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage. My priority is to bring the procurement process to a fair and impartial conclusion as quickly as possible and I will bring a recommendation to Government in the coming weeks.