The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is the Government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland. In addition, Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy published in December 2022, sets out a number of targets including that all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028.
The NBP contract, signed on 19 November 2019, provides for a future proofed high-speed broadband network to be deployed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to people living and working in the intervention area.
Under the NBP, NBI is contractually obligated to re-use existing third-party infrastructure, including poles, ducting and chambers. Where repairs or replacements are required, NBI provides the necessary details and requests these works through an agreed process. Once the works have been completed, the third party notifies NBI, and the infrastructure is then approved for use by NBI.
NBI have advised that to date they have not encountered issues relating to “direct buried ducting” in North County Dublin.
NBI also advise that nationally 100% of the third-party infrastructure that NBI intends to use as part of the rollout has been surveyed, and 96% of the required remedial works have now been completed. This infrastructure is either already in use or is actively being brought into use as part of NBI’s deployment. The remaining 4% will be completed by the end of 2026, in line with the expected completion data of the main infrastructure build of the NBP.
Along with the NBP intervention contract, commercial operators continue to upgrade their networks throughout the State to primarily urban areas and contribute materially to achieving the Digital Connectivity Strategy targets. Commercial operators have indicated that their networks will be upgraded to all urban areas by 2028.
The Department is continuing to monitor these upgrades to ensure any unnecessary barriers to this investment are addressed so that the risk of any potential areas where the availability of Gigabit connectivity services is limited is mitigated. These measures include making the processes to access existing infrastructure easier and ensuring new housing developments are designed to facilitate telecommunications connectivity from the outset.
