Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2019
543. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of premises that will not be provided with fibre connections under the national broadband plan; and the alternatives that will be provided for these premises. [22000/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of Irish premises had access to high speed broadband. Today, 74% of the 2.4 million premises in Ireland can access high speed broadband.
The National Broadband Plan intervention is the subject of the procurement process to engage a company to build, operate and maintain the NBP State intervention network. Following rigorous evaluation by my Department, I recently brought a recommendation to Government to confer Preferred Bidder status on Granahan McCourt, the remaining bidder in the NBP procurement process and Government agreed to this at its meeting on 7 May.
The Government decision means that it is intended to award the State Intervention contract to National Broadband Ireland, subject to the contract close, including the finalisation of financial and legal documents. Deployment will start as soon as the contract is signed and will take 7 years.
The network to be built will provide the majority of homes and businesses with a fibre connection. A small percentage (estimated at 2% of premises in the intervention area) of remote or difficult to connect premises may be connected with alternative technology such as fixed wireless, as long as the company meets the bandwidth and performance requirements of the contract.
