Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
90. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position regarding homes that are not covered under the National Broadband Ireland roll-out but cannot avail of sufficient broadband cover on the private market due to their location; if provisions are in place to assist homeowners in this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43084/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, indicates the areas which are included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and eircode. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the state led intervention, the contract for which was signed in November 2019 with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
Since 2013, the Department has engaged in an extensive Mapping Process to map broadband availability across Ireland, in order to identify which geographic areas already have, or will have, access to Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband services, i.e. a broadband service delivering at least 30Mbps download speeds and which areas required intervention from the state. The mapping process included a number of public consultations conducted over a six year period from 2013 to 2019. The most recent public consultation was in November 2019, which aimed to finalise the NBP Map in advance of signing the NBP contract. This public consultation confirmed the existing and planned coverage of NGA broadband services across Ireland. It relied on the most up to date information available, shared by commercial operators, of their existing and planned broadband services.
My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. Under State aid rules, my Department is not permitted to displace commercial investment by intervening in areas where commercial investment exists or is planned, as to do so would be an infringement of these state aid rules.
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 ensure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
