Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 December 2022
105. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the total number of broadband connection points installed in each county; and the total number installed in schools by NBI in each county in tabular form. [60264/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTransferred from Rural and Community Development
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 25 November 2022 some 793 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high-speed broadband service will be connected 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. 284 BCP sites will be connected by NBI under the NBP contract. There are an additional 16 BCP sites that Vodafone will deliver for the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Remote Work BCP contract. In total the public BCP network will consist of 300 sites in some of the most remote and isolated areas, including a number of off-shore islands. As of 11 November 2022, NBI reports that of their 284 locations, 279 sites have been installed. An additional 14 Remote Work BCPs are live and the remaining sites are due to be installed by the end of this year. The attached table gives further details.
Government and NBI have agreed to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband to 679 schools across the State. This will ensure that by the middle of next year all schools across the State will have the necessary infrastructure to carry out their critical day to day educational activities unimpeded by poor broadband. A number of schools will be passed by the new fibre build programme and they will be connected early in 2023.To date 514 schools have been installed by NBI for educational access. Further details of schools in scope are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
The Department of Rural and Community Development have advised that in the coming months, in consultation with Public BCP stakeholders, officials will draft a development strategy for the Public BCP Network. This strategy will set out a number of ambitions and opportunities and will guide decisions on future supports, partnerships and the scope to improve and broaden services. Among the items for consideration will be the issue of inviting additional premises, that have access to high-speed broadband, into the Public BCP network.
The current focus of the Public BCP project is to complete the rollout of the sites which are already within the project plan. It is expected that all Public BCPs will be completed and live in Quarter 1 of 2023. When completed, the Public BCP network will have a presence in every county in the State and in some of our most rural and isolated communities, including many off-shore islands. As the site connection rate grows, the Department of Rural and Community Development will work with local authorities and the committees that manage the Public BCPs to improve services and drive demand for the use of these sites.
