Sorca Clarke
Ceist:183. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide an update on the rollout of the national broadband scheme. [59553/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 29 November 2022
Ceisteanna (183)
Freagraí scríofa
I am advised by NBI that, as of 18 November 2022, over 107,400 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 25 counties, with over 95,700 premises passed across 25 counties and available for immediate connection. Construction is underway across 26 counties demonstrating that the project is reaching scale. To date, the level of connections is increasing on a daily basis and is in line with or exceeding projections. 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. Some 788 BCP sites have been installed by NBI to date 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 for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs.
509 schools have been installed by NBI to date for educational access. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high-speed broadband, within the Intervention Area. Further details are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
My Department worked with NBI to agree an Updated Interim Remedial Plan (UIRP) which recalibrated the targets for 2022 to take account of the knock on effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and other delays to the programme. The revised target is 102,000 premises passed by the end of January 2023 (cumulative).