Report Shows High Broadband Penetration In Ireland

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

30 April 2007

The Telecommunications and Internet Federation (TIF), the association for the electronic communications industry in Ireland, has launched a new report which shows that between DSL, wireless, 3G and cable services, approximately 85% of the population can access broadband.

The report, entitled 'Ireland’s Broadband Future', includes a series of recommendations from broadband providers as to how better develop the broadband market.

Speaking at the launch, TIF Director Tommy McCabe observed that: “Ireland has a particularly diverse mix of technologies used to provide broadband. The research shows that approximately 75-80% of the population have access to a wired broadband service, while 60% have access to a form of wireless broadband service."

“TIF estimates that the combined availability of wired and wireless broadband covers approximately 80-85% of the population. This is an aggregated nationwide figure, so availability will vary greatly from individual location to location.”

Based on the report’s findings TIF has put forward a set of recommendations to maximise broadband supply and stimulate demand. These include:

• Public investment only where needed – public funding should be restricted to areas where private industry is least likely to invest.
• Use of public tender process for outlying areas – Government funding is required to make certain areas economically viable for industry to supply with broadband services. This should be tendered on a region by region basis.
• The role of regulation – the regulatory environment must be flexible enough to keep pace with the changing market. Spectrum allocation to enable wireless and mobile broadband services; the standardisation of local authority charges and procedures; and regulatory policies that balance the development of competition with the need long-term sustained investment are vital.
• A range of initiatives are required to stimulate demand. Stronger ICT presence in schools; incentives for businesses to promote teleworking and online sales; initiatives to promote the uptake of PCs and other internet enabled devices; and awareness campaigns to educate consumers on the benefits of broadband are examples of the multitude of means available.
• Close cooperation of all stakeholders is needed – both the private and public sectors have a role to play in maximising the reach and uptake of broadband. A joint effort and full consultation between Government and industry is crucial in the deployment of all of these recommendations.

“Agreement is needed between government and industry on what is affordable and achievable in terms of boosting the take up of broadband," McCabe stated, adding: "The recently published National Development Plan has shown the Government’s commitment to investing in telecommunications, it is vital that this money is spent wisely."

A TIF delegation recently met with Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey TD, to present the report and to discuss how industry and Government can work better together.

In January 2006, the TIF Broadband Taskforce was set up to provide a unified industry voice on the broadband market and infrastructure in Ireland. This enabled the telecoms industry to establish a common position on many major factors affecting broadband in Ireland. The survey of network coverage, population and technical issues was undertaken over a six month period, and the group performed an analysis of that data.

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