Only basic broadband for 30% of State by 2020

UP TO 30 per cent of the population may only have access to basic levels of broadband by 2020, according to a report published yesterday by the Government-chaired Next Generation Broadband Taskforce.

The taskforce, set-up by Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte last June and described by him yesterday as a “unique experiment in partnership” between industry and Government, comprised chief executives of the State’s largest telecommunications companies. It was tasked with making recommendations on how to overcome barriers to greater investment in the roll-out of high-speed broadband services across the State.

The report, titled Enabling a Connected Society, identifies five key areas where Government and industry could co-operate to accelerate the provision of broadband services: access to and use of State entities and assets; setting targets for broadband speed; demand stimulation; spectrum policy; and infrastructure barrier removal.Among the 42 recommendations in the report, the taskforce said consideration should be given to amending legislation to enable commercial access to State infrastructure and assets. It calls for a more strategic approach to infrastructure planning and identifies challenges such as inconsistencies in planning and mast exclusion zones imposed by local authorities.

The report outlines predicted broadband penetration based on current commercial investment strategies and identifies a 15 to 30 per cent segment of the population where commercial investment is unlikely to occur. It notes that spatial distribution patterns make the delivery of services to more isolated areas cost prohibitive for industry. It recommends that the Government may wish to consider market intervention to ensure services are provided to this segment of the population.

It is envisaged that just over 50 per cent of the population will have access to broadband speeds of between 70Mbps and 100Mbps by 2015, and a further 20-35 per cent will have access to speeds of between 30-100Mbps by 2020.

Speaking at the launch in Dublin’s Digital Hub yesterday, Mr Rabbitte said the roll-out of high-speed broadband “is at the top of the infrastructure priorities” for the Government. “In terms of growth, in terms of entrepreneurship, in terms of jobs there is no doubt but that enhanced accessibility to industrial strength or optimum broadband is absolutely imperative and the Government regards it as such,” he said.