Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, has paved the way to ensure that an additional 300,000 premises across Ireland can access high speed broadband within 90 weeks.
These premises were previously part of the State Intervention Area but will now be provided for by Eir. The Minister has also updated the map to add 84,500 premises to the State Intervention Area. This is as a result of commercial investment which has not materialised. With this latest development, the Broadband Map, which shows the premises which will require State intervention, can now be finalised.
The three consortia that have been shortlisted in the procurement process to provide high speed broadband to premises in the intervention area can now, with some certainty, provide tenders.
“Today is a good day for rural Ireland," Minister Naughten said. "The agreement that I have signed with Eir means one house every minute of every working day will get fibre-to-the-door high speed broadband over the next 90 weeks. Some 300,000 more rural premises will have access to high speed quality broadband – that’s an extra 500 houses every day.
"Over the last four years, commercial operators have invested over €2.5bn in upgrading telecoms networks and services. This is a clear indication that the State’s commitment to broadband is driving investment from the commercial sector. With the finalisation of the Broadband Map, one of the key uncertainties in the procurement process has now been removed and will allow us to move closer to our goal of ensuring all premises in Ireland will have access to high speed broadband.”
The revised National Broadband Plan intervention map will be available on the Department’s website at www.broadband.gov.ie
