Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 October 2019
217. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when broadband facilities will be extended to areas (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42567/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraEvery home, farm, school and business in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband – no matter where they are located – following the Government’s decision to approve the appointment of a preferred bidder to the National Broadband Plan.
Most of the areas that the Deputy references in Kildare (Old Bog Road, Cappagh, Kilcock, Ballraheen, Maynooth, Byranstown, Maynooth, Smithstown Kilcock) are in the Amber area of the NBP High Speed Broadband Map and will receive access to a high speed broadband service via the State intervention. Parts of Clonfert Co. Kildare are in the Blue area where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
Information on categories of specific premises can be accessed on my Department’s website, www.broadband.gov.ie, by entering the relevant Eircode into the High Speed Broadband Map.
The State intervention is the subject of the procurement process to engage a company to build, operate and maintain the NBP State intervention network.
Since the Government decision in May 2019 to appoint NBI as the Preferred Bidder for the National Broadband Plan contract, work has continued on the due diligence necessary to conclude the contract. This process is progressing towards contract award, which is expected before the end of the year. The network deployment will commence shortly after that.
The Bidder has indicated that the network rollout will take an estimated 7 years from the beginning of deployment. A deployment plan will be made available by the Bidder once the contract is signed. In the first year of roll out, the Bidder will deploy approximately 300 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) across all counties. It is anticipated that between 7 and 23 BCPs will be deployed in each county. BCPs will provide a community based high speed broadband service, enhancing online participation and allowing for the establishment of digital work hubs in these locations.
The Bidder is aiming to pass 133,000 premises by the end of the second year, with 70-100,000 passed each year thereafter until roll out is completed.
In parallel to the work of finalising the contract, I am considering the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Communications Committee report, which was published recently. I will bring my deliberations of the report to Government in due course.
My Department has also recently undertaken a mapping consultation to ensure that the State Intervention Area is up to date and reflects operators’ plans and the responses from householders and businesses with the outcome of this consultation informing the State Aid notification to the European Commission in relation to the NBP.
