The Government is stepping up its efforts to meet its target of ensuring 30Mb/s broadband for everyone in the country by 2015 through a national mapping exercise intended to identify areas in need of state intervention to meet its goal.
The National Broadband Plan committed the state to ensuring the provision of 30Mb/s and over through a combination of public and private investment. Current EU targets demand the provision of 30Mb/s as standard by 2020 as part of the Digital Agenda.
This exercise will help identify where advanced broadband services are already in place and where there are plans already in place for such services in the coming three years.
Launching the mapping exercise, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte said: "This information is needed to develop maps identifying those areas which will be served with fast broadband speeds by private operators and those areas where intervention by Government will be necessary to deliver the speeds required by the National Broadband Plan.
"We will work our way through a map of Ireland, community by community, to see which streets and roads, which towns and villages will be offered fast broadband by the commercial operators and, as a result to spot the gaps that we need to fill with state-supported investment.
"Participation in this exercise is voluntary and it is a matter for each company to decide on its own behalf. However, I am encouraged by the supportive attitude of the industry towards the National Broadband Plan. I would urge all operators in the telecommunications industry to participate as fully as possible. The information gathered will be used to confirm where it is sensible to use public money."
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