Minister questioned over broadband in Fenagh

Seventeen premises in Ballydanton, Fenagh will fall within the National Broadband Plan, which is now in the final stages of the procurement process. 

Carlow/Kilkenny TD Pat Deering asked the Minister for Communications when a broadband service will be available in Ballydanton, Fenagh, Carlow.

The Government's High Speed Broadband map shows that the townland of Ballydanton in Carlow comprises 21 premises, 17 premises represented as AMBER on the map fall within the NBP Intervention area and 4 premises are in a BLUE area and will be covered by commercial operators.

In a written response on July 10, Minister Denis Naughten said: "Individuals can access information on the categories of specific premises by visiting my Department’s website, www.broadband.gov.ie, and entering the relevant eircode into the High Speed Broadband Map.

"My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area. This process is now in its final stages."

The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. 

The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband.

By 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

Minister Naughten added: "In April 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie.

"This Map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the NBP. The Map is colour coded and searchable by address and eircode.

- The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process.

- The BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

- The LIGHT BLUE areas represent eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017 and available on my Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie

"For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services."

The Minister said: "Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. 

"These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure.

"The Department of Rural and Community Development maintain a list of Broadband Officers, a link to which is available on my Department's website at this link."