Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 December 2020
47. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the national broadband plan will be rolled out across County Donegal by townland and yearly quarter in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43707/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed in November 2019 to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.
In County Donegal, there are 102,564 premises of which 32,373 are within the intervention area for the National Broadband Plan. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years. I am advised by NBI that, as of 10 December 2020, over 145,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed which is ahead of the full year survey target of 120,000 that had been projected by the company. Surveys have been completed in County Donegal in the areas of Milford, Letterkenny, Ramelton, Termon, Ballymacool, Kilmacrennan, Mullaghfin, and Tommyscroft. My Department understands that NBI have targeted the following indicative dates for further surveying in Donegal within the next 18 months;
|
Deployment Area |
No. of premises |
Timelines |
|
Creeslough |
3117 |
2021 Q3 |
|
Tamney |
1904 |
2022 Q2 |
|
Rutland Island, Burtonport |
7 |
2022 Q2 |
|
Inishfree Island, Burtonport |
21 |
2022 Q2 |
|
Arranmore |
470 |
2022 Q2 |
|
Bunbeg |
2360 |
2022 Q2 |
|
Tory Island |
113 |
2022 Q2 |
Surveying is the first step towards delivering the new fibre network and involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. This informs design solutions for provision of the fibre network to each and every premises in the surveyed area and leads to detailed designs. The detailed designs are then used to initiate the ‘make ready’ project with Open eir for the area, where Open eir ensure any poles and ducts being reused are fit for purpose and the make ready of other required infrastructure. This step also informs decisions on equipment ordering. I am advised that Letterkenny DA, which includes Ballymacool, Milford, Mullaghfin, Ramelton, Termon and Tommyscroft, is now at the detailed design stage. Survey data is also needed to initiate pre-works which pave the way for the deploying of fibre. Pre-works involve construction of new duct routes, erection of poles, building chambers, and tree trimming. On completion of these pre-works, the main construction works can commence. This involves deploying fibre overhead on poles and in underground ducts, splicing of fibre, and unblocking of ducts. Once the main construction works are completed and the appropriate level of testing has been undertaken, the fibre network can be commissioned and end users can order their connection.
Further details are available on specific areas within Donegal through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises when works are due to commence. I am aware that concerns have been raised regarding the level of information available on the deployment of the NBI network and I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 3 December, 217 publicly accessible BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Ray Community Centre, Leghowney Community Centre, Dunree Military Museum, Cranford Coole Community Centre, the Gweedore Theatre and Meenreagh Hostel are BCPs which are now connected in Co. Donegal. A further BCP at Tory Co-Op has had infrastructure installed by NBI and will be connected in the coming weeks. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the intervention area for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, it has been announced that an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan has been agreed which will see almost 680 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, including 42 schools across County Donegal, which is well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026.Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
