Urban NBP on the way ?

clohamon

Minister Ossian Smyth is concerned it seems that the universal Gigabit target will be spoiled by urban black spots. He has asked ComReg to map them.

The national broadband plan is a project to bring fibre broadband to every home in Ireland. It has been immensely successful. There has been a lot of attention and focus recently on the Government's competence and ability to deliver capital projects. This project, which happens to be the largest and worth more than €2.5 billion, is on time and on budget. By the end of 2026, every home, farm and business in rural Ireland will have access to fibre direct to the premises. I want to make sure that happens in urban Ireland as well because a number of black spots where fibre is not available are emerging. People in these areas use some kind of hybrid fibre with speeds of less than 100 Mbps but they need the same 1 Gbps level of connection that will be available in rural Ireland. I have asked my Department to focus on urban black spots. I have worked with the communications regulator, ComReg, which will shortly be producing a map showing where those areas are. It is a much smaller project than was required to connect up rural Ireland. If we can deliver fibre broadband to every home in the Black Valley in Kerry, we can certainly do it in Glenageary and Dundrum. That will be a focus for next year.

The next questions are who's going to do the upgrade(s), what will it cost, who's going to pay for it if not the industry, and when will it be finished.

heavydawson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058371819/urban-nbp-on-the-way

I think we all know who's going to pay for it, if the black spots were considered noncommercial up to this point.

Will be interesting if they divide the urban areas up into Deployment Areas within each urban area that are then up for bidding on to obtain the inevitable subsidies the government will offer.

clohamon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122682436#Comment_122682436

You're probably right, but maybe the mapping will encourage SIRO/VM/Eircom to compete a bit harder.

I remember the Minister from 2023 thinking he could do it with regulation alone.

I have been examining policy options for completing urban black spots. I am looking at the copper switch off plans ComReg has been examining and at the universal service obligation for broadband which I brought in in the communication regulations Bill recently. We will have to determine the regulatory mechanism we use to oblige broadband providers to provide their service to everybody so they do not leave cul-de-sacs uncompleted in urban areas.

A USO with additional state funding perhaps or a consumer levy on those who already have Gigabit. (perish the thought)

Either way, it looks like Eircom's foot dragging is going to be rewarded with some kind of subsidy.

heavydawson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122683124#Comment_122683124

Funny enough that you mention the copper switch off. BT made a nice chunk of change from the copper they were able to reclaim. Perhaps mandating some use of Irish copper switch off to fund those fibre black-spots would be a good idea?

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/sep/29/bt-recycling-deal-surplus-copper-cables

clohamon

Oireachtas news

Minister Smyth is meeting the Communications and Transport Committee

16 Oct 2024, 15:15, CR2, LH 2000 [Select]

2024 Supplementary Estimates for Public Services - Vote 29 (Environment, Climate and Communications)

Ossian Smyth, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications

It's supposed to be about estimates but mostly it isn't. Perhaps a committee member would ask him about his plans for urban black-spots.

Here's who should be showing up.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/33/transport-and-communications/membership/?tab=select

Watch here.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/cr2-live/

clohamon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122714114#Comment_122714114

Meeting video here. from 21:40

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/video-archive/committees/9851

• 150k urban homes in black-spots
• ComReg mapping of black-spots to be made public.
• Duct-ownership and access issues to be addressed by EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act
• Department working on pilot projects
• Rural NBP to be finished slightly ahead of schedule - end 2026 for 564k premises.

…..says Minister.

clohamon

Minister Smyth kind of answers Deputy Martin Kenny's PQ of two weeks ago.

126. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the work that has been undertaken by his Department and the agencies under his remit to address the issue of fibre broadband connectivity blackspots in commercial areas; if his Department has quantified the number of premises impacted by this issue; if not, when this will take place; if he envisages that State aid or a public subsidy is required to address these blackspots and by extension a public tendering process for this work; the measures his Department is considering to ensure that the Government’s own commitment of gigabit connectivity for all will be achieved by 2028; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40856/24]

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the government's initiative to deliver high speed broadband services to all premises in Ireland. The NBP will be delivered through investment by commercial enterprises coupled with intervention by the State in those parts of the country where private companies have no plans to invest.

The Department is aware of some evidence emerging, based on conversations with ComReg and commercial operators, that a portion of premises that do not form part of the intervention area may prove not to be commercially viable in terms of being connected to a gigabit network by 2028. The Department are currently investigating reasons for why such instances may arise with a view to identifying solutions. However, it is important to note that significant commercial roll-out programmes by Eir, SIRO and VMI are on-going, and the scale of this potential problem can only be established upon completion of those commercial roll-out programmes. 

If a portion of premises are identified not to be commercially viable in terms of delivering connectivity to a gigabit network by 2028, the Department will consider a range of options that can address the problem. A decision as to what the right solution/solutions are appropriate will be informed by the nature and scale of the problems identified. State aid intervention is one of the options that may be considered at this juncture and if pursued may require a public tendering process depending on the intervention model chosen under EU state aid guidelines. 

While commercial roll-outs are ongoing, the Department will continue to investigate this issue with relevant stakeholders such as ComReg and commercial operators and would note that it is considering options around potential pilot schemes aimed at informing potential future solutions in order to ensure that the 2028 gigabit connectivity commitments are achieved.

It's not quite clear from above whether the Department can make an early call about the at-risk premises or whether they will wait until 2028 to decide. Not a great situation if you're caught in one of these areas.