Eir and Imagine expansions may delay National Broadband Plan
Communications Minister Richard Bruton is to meet with Eir and Imagine to discuss how recent announcements of respective plans to expand their networks will impact on the National Broadband Plan.
Both companies have announced expansions to their coverage, prompting concerns that the areas they are targeting will encroach on the NBP’s intervention area d1 with the unveiling of the plans coming ahead of the imminent NBP contract awarding.
Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley said further NBP delays to the NBP are “likely” as a result.
“In the last two weeks, both Eir and Imagine have announced plans to provide broadband services within the intervention area which will cover 400,000 premises. These announcements present yet another headache for the plan as the rollout cannot take place in areas where there is already a commercial operator,” he said.
“While the announcements made by both providers are obviously welcome, they now raise concerns around the cost, timelines, and coverage of the NBP. It is clear that the department recognises the implications of these announcements as they have sought a meeting with Eir and Imagine to discuss the implications of these plans.
“Any and all investments which provide those living in rural Ireland (with broadband) are obviously very necessary at this point but it is logical to assume that these announcements will now cause further delays for the NBP.
“The size of the project could be massively changed. On top of that, the cost could increase as the number of premises signed up in the first years of the plan are drastically reduced.”
Sean Canney, the minister of state for natural resources, community affairs, and digital development, said this may not be the case.
“All I have and all I’ve seen are announcements,” said Mr Canney.
“We haven’t seen the maps or the detail of what they’re going to do. I understand from Eir that a big part of what they’re doing is to refit fibre into the copper in towns and cities previously being served by copper. That’s not in the broadband intervention area. So we have to look at the detail of this,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Canney yesterday launched the 2018 review of the progress made by the Government’s mobile phone and broadband taskforce.
The group was established in July 2016 with a view to investigating how better services could be provided to consumers prior to the rollout of the NBP.
The taskforce comprises of a number of stakeholders including government departments and produced its final report in December 2016.
The latest review of the implementation of the group’s recommendations has found the removal of development contributions for broadband infrastructure has resulted in cost reductions for industry and that Transport Infrastructure Ireland has installed roughly 1,000km of ducting along roads nationwide which will enable operators to expand their networks.
Mr Canney said this taskforce’s work will not be affected by the Eir and Imagine announcements.
