Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
156. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the reason a house (details supplied) was not included in the National Broadband Ireland roll-out given there is no other telecom supplier offering a 30mb service to this house; the steps that will be taken to rectify this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37032/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. Complaints about service provision are a matter to be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
Notwithstanding this, my Department has done an initial check of speeds being delivered to the premises referred which suggests that the premises can only get speeds below 30Mbps. The issue may be related to a line fault as the indicators are that all the other premises in the same estate can get 70 to 90Mbps. We have raised this particular case with the service provider operating in the area and will revert to the Deputy as soon as a response is received.
