LAST UPDATE | 29 Jun 2022

THERE ARE OVER 180,000 premises where works to install high-speed broadband have either been started or completed, the company in charge of delivering the National Broadband Plan told politicians.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) told an Oireachtas committee today that significant progress has been made in the rollout, compared to earlier this year when issues around delivery was raised.

A total of 182,000 premises have either had work started or completed, according to the NBI.

This is 28,000 more premises compared to January.

Peter Hendrick, CEO of NBI said that “significant progress” has been made in delivering the rural broadband plan and that there is significant demand for the project.

“Significant progress has been made and I am glad to be able to tell members that we are gaining real momentum in delivering the project,” Hendrick stated.

“On average we are building between 7,000 and 10,000 premises each month with stability and predictability across the programme.

“This initial indicator of demand for the network is surpassing anything we have ever seen in Ireland when compared to other commercial rollouts, and indeed in comparison to other international projects.”

According to the NBI, there have been over 330,000 premises surveyed, of the 544,200 total premises set to benefit from the broadband plan. Detailed plans have also been drawn up for 313,000 premises.

“At the end of June, the number of Premises Passed will be: 63,652 and there will be over 74,000 premises where the network is fully built,” Hendrick said.

The Oireachtas committee also heard from the chief executive of National Broadband Ireland Deployment, TJ Malone.

“We’re probably a month ahead at the moment, providing we don’t hit any other obstacles,” he said.

When asked whether the 102,000 premises would be completed by the end of 2022, Malone said: “From what we’re seeing at the moment, we would be confident.

“All that said, there could be obstacles that could hit us, but we would have confidence in it at the moment.”

When asked again if it could come in ahead of the January 2023 target, Malone said: “That’s exactly where we’re trying to be.”

There are also currently 636 Broadband Connection Points installed, which are public locations that receive high-speed broadband under the NBP. Of these, 359 are primary schools.

The NBI has made some progress on fibre connections on six islands off the coast of Mayo and Donegal, and will be build off the coast of Cork later in 2022.

Updated by Press Association