Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 March 2022
241. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll-out of broadband connection points; the number that have been connected to date by county; the number planned to be connected; the component shortages that may impact the delivery of broadband connection points; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11926/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPublic Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are among the first premises for delivery under the National Broadband Plan. They are publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Sites are provided with a temporary wireless high-speed broadband connection which they make available for onsite community use, including for remote work and study.
There are currently 250 BCPs live and these are all listed on the online map available at www.myconnectedcommunity.ie. Approximately 50 more BCPs are planned for installation this year. The full listing by local authority area is set out in the table below.
It should be noted that there will always be a ‘lag’ between the sites shown live on the map and the sites that are, in practice, live and operational. This is due to the need for my officials to verify that the service at each BCP is as users would expect and that the work has been completed to the requisite high standard. Sites do not become billable until this verification process has been completed. The map is updated periodically to include recently commissioned sites.
With regard to component shortages, the layer 3 8-port switches used at many BCPs have proven difficult to source due to the global semi-conductor shortage. Standard switches are the point at which the initial connectivity comes into the premises from the wireless link (dish) outside the premises and is then redirected to the WiFi access points for the public to use. Layer 3 switches allow for wired and networked equipment such as desktop PCs, printers, smart screens, remote access door controls and onsite managed firewalls, as well as the standard WiFi solution. As such, they are essential to the future-proofing of BCPs, adding another level of amenity beyond the original scope of the project.
Due to the same issues impacting on delivery of the switches, the enterprise-grade WiFi access points used at BCPs have also been difficult to source.
We have been informed that the remaining WiFi access points and switches will be delivered by the end of this month and that Vodafone, the retail service provider contracted by my department to support the BCP network, will work to deploy these as quickly as possible.
