Ambitious infrastructure programme to address broadband deficits

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The Minister said “The provision of quality, reliable high speed broadband is a necessity for a 21st century economy and society. The last two years alone has seen dramatic increases in broadband usage and data traffic across broadband networks. This trend is set to continue as new applications and services emerge”. The Minister noted that since publication of the National Broadband Plan the commercial sector has responded strongly in urban and semi-urban areas, offering competitive high speed services to consumers over multiple technology platforms, and are now investing approximately €2bn in Ireland. For example:

• Eircom is rolling out a €400m investment in a Next Generation Access Fibre Network that offers speeds of up to 100Mbps. Service is already available to over 800,000 addresses, with planned coverage to reach 1.4m addresses by 2016.
• UPC has invested over €500m in upgrading its cable network. Over 700,000 homes can already access minimum broadband speeds of 120Mbps and up to 200Mbps. Businesses can access speeds of 500Mbps.

• ESB is engaged in a new project allowing a fibre network to be rolled-out on its existing electricity infrastructure. Discussions between ESB and Vodafone to form a new Joint Venture Company are at an advanced stage. The company has initial plans to construct a fibre network directly to 450,000 premises outside of Dublin and it is expected that details will be announced over the coming weeks.
• Mobile operators have launched 4G high speed mobile broadband services following ComReg’s multiband spectrum auction. There has also been continued investment by all operators in enhancing and broadening 3G services and network improvements.

• Fixed wireless operators are continuing to invest in high speed point-to-point wireless broadband.

• The broadcaster Sky has entered the broadband market, increasing choice for consumers.
Minister Rabbitte said “These high speed services are possible because the networks on which they are based have a strong fibre component. This model cannot be replicated commercially in many rural areas because the fibre networks do not exist and population densities are small. The Government has confirmed that it intends to ensure that rural Ireland enjoys similar opportunities by ensuring an end-to end market intervention with fibre as a core component.”
“In committing to a fibre build-out at the heart of this strategy, the Government is acknowledging that broadband is the key infrastructure of the 21st century. In order to ensure proper connectivity for current and future generations, we must first address the fibre-deficit in these areas” Minister Rabbitte continued.
The Government has given the green light to the principle of a fibre build-out which will be the cornerstone of the State’s strategy to deliver high speed broadband to rural areas. Over 1,000 rural communities have already been identified as target areas for the proposed fibre based connections. The strategy will include additional measures to ensure that consumers and businesses can avail of services being provided off the new fibre network. It is envisaged that telecommunications operators will be able to offer multiple services off the fibre network, including fixed wireless, copper-based and mobile services, as well as offering the possibility of direct fibre connections.
“This is a highly ambitious project, aimed at definitively addressing the broadband challenge in Ireland” Minister Rabbitte said. “It is an investment for this generation and the next. By providing the critical fibre infrastructure as a key component of an end-to-end solution, we aim to ensure that services to rural communities can continue to scale up to meet demand, similar to the way in which the urban market has developed”.
Detailed planning work is continuing in order to deliver the project. The Minister said that he will publish a comprehensive implementation strategy later this year. Central to the strategy will be a fibre build-out to locations in every county in the State identified as having no existing or planned enabling fibre network. The fibre will be delivered directly to access points for homes and businesses, where service providers can utilise the fibre to provide high speed services to end users. The fibre build-out will also ensure that fibre is deployed to strategic locations on each route such as schools, business hubs and health facilities.
The strategy will address all parts of Ireland that cannot access commercial high speed broadband services. To this end, it will include supporting measures to accelerate end user connections to the fibre network and proposals to address the most remote areas of the country. The Minister said “I want to ensure that local communities are empowered to accelerate the delivery of high speed broadband to their areas. I have asked my officials to explore options for an appropriate demand led mechanism for inclusion in the published implementation strategy”. Consultation with the Local Authorities, voluntary and co-operative sectors will take place in order to explore how such a mechanism could be mobilised and supported.
Intensive design work is ongoing in the Department with a view to publishing an end-to-end implementation strategy later this year, together with the outcome of the mapping exercise which will identify the areas that require intervention. A full public consultation will take place once the strategy is published.
The Minister noted that since publication of the National Broadband Plan telecommunications providers in Ireland have accelerated the roll out of high speed services.

Welcoming these developments the Minister said “These commercial developments represent a strong vote of confidence in the Irish economy and in Irish business and consumers. They also reflect an investment focussed policy and regulatory environment in line with the overarching objectives of National Broadband Plan. Commercial investments have exceeded industry expectations at the time the National Broadband Plan was published in 2012. The net result is that the addressable area for the State has decreased”. The Minister noted however that it was also exacerbating the urban rural divide. “For this reason, we must ensure that any State-led investment in rural areas is fully future-proofed and allows rural businesses and consumers to fully realise the benefits of internet connectivity, and that any intervention is capable of scaling up to meet future demand” Minister Rabbitte said.
The Minister concluded by saying “This strategy not only supports balanced regional development, it also delivers a solution which is future-proofed and capable of responding to new technology developments and increasing demand. It will ensure that all businesses and citizens across Ireland can participate in and maximise the benefits of a digitally enabled economy and society.”