Group meets on delivering high-speed broadband

The first meeting of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce Implementation Group, co-chaired by Minister for Rural Affairs, Heather Humphreys, and Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten, was held yesterday (Wednesday). The establishment of the Implementation Group is a commitment in the Action Plan for Rural Development.

The group has been established by the two ministers to drive progress on implementing the measures recommended by the Mobile Phone and BroadbandTaskforce, which published its final report in December. The report contains 40 actions aimed at accelerating the delivery of telecoms infrastructure by commercial operators and also at facilitating the rollout of the State led Intervention under the National Broadband Plan.

That plan aims to deliver high-speed broadband to every citizen and business in Ireland within three to five years of commencement of large scale rollout.

 

Commenting after yesterday's inaugural meeting of the implementation group, Minister Naughten said: “There is huge value in bringing together in one place the many different parts of Government that impact upon the roll out of vitally important telecoms infrastructure, particularly in rural Ireland. There is also a clear benefit in making sure there is tight co-operation between stakeholders, including industry, to ensure the delivery of many of the actions, especially around the role of the Broadband Officers and enabling the National BroadbandPlan’’.

He added ‘’I am pleased to see progress being made and welcome the fact that one operator, eir, has already launched ‘WiFi calling’ on its network. I hope to see other operators introduce this and other network feature and functionality enhancements as soon as possible.’’

 

Minister Humphreys added: “Improving rural connectivity is an important pillar of the Action Plan for Rural Development and the establishment of this Implementation Group is a vital step in our work to drive improvements in broadband infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The Gorup has a clear mandate, not only to deliver upon the 40 recommendations already identified in the Taskforce’s final report, but to also identify emerging issues that may impact upon the timely rollout of mobile phone andbroadband infrastructure. To this end, we will convene an annual forum later in the year that will provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to make their views known.”

 

Actions outlined in the report focus on optimising network performance, improving consistency in relation to planning procedures, enhancing access to infrastructure, engaging with stakeholders on issues impacting on the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure, and equipping consumers to make informed decisions on available products and services.

 

The Taskforce Implementation Group brings together all key stakeholders identified in the Taskforce report with responsibility for delivery of actions.

 

The report, published last December, can be viewed at: