Broadband access: political promises assessed

A contentious issue in Ireland for longer than we care to remember, broadband is still a hot topic. While urban areas may have high-speed services, more rural areas have been left without access to decent services.

That can have knock-on effects. About a third of Irish small and medium sized enterprises do not have an online presence, something numerous schemes have been attempting to redress. But without high-speed broadband access to these businesses, they are cut off.

Lobby group Ireland Offline's Eamonn Wallace compared the extension of highspeed broadband to rural areas to the rollout of electricity services.

“We need it. There’s no point saying we can’t do it because it may be too expensive,” he said. “It’s pointless, because it’s something that has to be done. The end.”

The group has been around since the days of dial up, lobbying for better internet access for Irish homes and businesses.

Initial response

The National Broadband Plan was the initial response from the Department of Communications to tackle the urban/rural digital divide and bring broadband to areas around the country where there was no access to high-speed services.

The contract was initially awarded to Three Ireland for the rollout of wireless broadband services.

The scheme ended in 2014 after 68 months, and its success or otherwise is a much debated issue.

Fast-forward a few years and it seems we’re back to square one. The Government has started a tender process for the roll out of fibre broadband to areas that may not be deemed commercially viable. No contract has been awarded to any party as yet and the final tender has yet to be published. *

When the plans were unveiled back in 2012, then-minister for communications Pat Rabbitte outlined targets that could only be described as ambitious: speeds of 70-100Mbps to at least 50 per cent of the population, 40Mbps to a further 20 per cent and a minimum of 30Mbps available to everyone – all within the lifetime of the Government.

So what do the political parties have planned for the future of broadband in Ireland? We took a look at their manifestos and asked Ireland Offline to give its verdict on each.

Fine Gael

In the lifetime of the last government, Fine Gael and Labour oversaw the formulation of the National Broadband Plan. So it’s no surprise to see the plan feature heavily in the party’s manifesto.

When it comes to plans for the next Dáil term, Fine Gael is promising big. “Within the next Dáil term, Fine Gael guarantees to deliver next-generation broadband to every household and business in the country. No town, village or parish will be left behind under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) through a combination of industry and State investment, we will ensure that 85 per cent of premises in Ireland will have access to high-speed broadband by 2018, with 100 per cent access by 2020.”

There’s even a mention of funding, in the guide of initial stimulus under the Capital Spending Plan.

Verdict:

As expected. Five years of blaming Fianna Fáil and stalling on committing to anything, but at least there is a plan. “It’s technically feasible. Economically speaking it may not be, but it’s . . . a necessity.”

Labour

Labour’s manifesto is a little light on detail. Naturally, the party is backing the National Broadband Plan to the hilt. It will be implemented on schedule, giving access to high-speed broadband for every household, school and business by 2020.

“We will put the policy and regulatory frameworks in place to stimulate commercial companies to deliver high-speed broadband to the maximum number of homes and businesses possible across the country,” Labour promises. “The State intervention will extend high-speed broadband access to premises that commercial investment will not serve.” And there are plans to bring high-speed broadband to every primary school in the State.

Verdict

: Nothing new – exactly the same policy as Fine Gael. And they’re focused on schools rather than business. “It has helped a bit, bringing broadband to rural areas.”

Fianna Fáil

The National Broadband Scheme was formulated and introduced under the watch of the Fianna Fáil government, but the party’s general election manifesto criticises policy for being “slow and unambitious”.

The manifesto recognises some of the benefits of high-speed broadband – working from home, setting up new business, connecting families. With this in mind, Fianna Fáil has promised to prioritise the rollout of broadband in every home across the country.

And not just any broadband: fibre broadband is the aim for every house and business in the State. Where commercial operators won’t provide services the State will step in.

The plan also criticises the 30Mbps minimum speed threshold for being too low, something most of the parties seem to be in agreement on – for now at least.

Fianna Fáil isn’t stopping there though. It has plans to boost mobile coverage – and, presumably, mobile data coverage will come with that.

Verdict:

Following the pack. “It’s Fine Gael’s plan,” says Ireland Offline’s Wallace. “The three main parties, you couldn’t slip a cigarette paper between the three of them.” Also, it’s noted Fianna Fáil has failed multiple times to do anything when in government.

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is making rural Ireland and its development a key pillar of its manifesto. That includes the digital economy and, with plans to make the west the e-commerce focal point of Ireland, bolstering the broadband infrastructure is crucial.

According to its manifesto, Sinn Féin “will oversee the replacement of copper with fibre optic cable and the provision of industrial cable broadband to municipal towns”. The party aims to bring minimum speeds of 100Mbps to all householders and businesses.

Bringing high-speed broadband to the country will also help the party deliver on another election promise: creating a digital hub in Galway that will become an economic driver in the west.

Verdict

: Scepticism. “That’s great – if only we could figure out what they meant. Industrial cable broadband – what does that even mean? 100Mbps is fine. Saying is okay, but it’s aspirational. But we want to see something more concrete than that. How are we going to pay for it?”

Green Party

The Green Party sees broadband as a potential source of employment in rural areas, noting the need to provide high quality broadband to all areas of the country to prevent location becoming a bar to participation in the global internet economy.

Verdict

: “They had their chance; they had a communications minister. But at least they mention remote working.”

Renua

Lucinda Creighton’s party is pledging the completion of ultra-fast fibre broadband networks encompassing major towns and villages as part of its election manifesto.

The party recognises the availability of a countrywide high-speed broadband network is necessary to build digital capability to both attract people to the country and encourage visitors to explore further. On the back of that, efficient digital marketing, booking, and payment and information platforms are also considered essential by Renua.

Verdict

: Bland. “It’s a very nice little piece pledging completion, encompassing everyone. They got that off the back of a cornflakes packet.”

Direct Democracy Ireland

One of the newest parties on the block, Direct Democracy Ireland’s manifesto makes no mention of broadband, rural or otherwise, and what the party’s plans are.

Verdict

: Disappointing. “Any party that doesn’t mention broadband, at least give it a passing reference, really doesn’t have the interest of the country at heart.

Anti Austerity Alliance/People Before Profit

Two separate organisations running under one banner, the AAA and PBP manifesto includes everything from water to a woman’s right to choose, but there is no mention of what the parties will do to help boost rural broadband if elected to government.

Verdict

: “They’re not really interested in infrastructure.”

Independent Alliance

The collection of independent candidates operating under the umbrella group the Independent Alliance, don’t have a detailed manifesto in the way political parties do. But they have made one promise on rural broadband in their charter for change.

“We will make it a precondition for any incoming government that the needs of rural Ireland are addressed and the neglect of our countryside, of our rural towns and of our villages, ends. We will prioritise the development of a functioning rural broadband infrastructure.”

Verdict

: Again, disappointing. Broadband seems to have fallen off the agenda.

* This article was corrected on Monday, February 22nd.