The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has published the first independent evaluation report (Report) of the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
The NBP is the largest infrastructural project in rural Ireland since rural electrification, spanning 96% of Ireland’s land mass. It is supplying fast, reliable broadband by laying 140,000 kilometres of fibre cable, utilising over 1.5 million poles and over 16,500 kilometres of underground duct networks. William Fry is delighted to have advised DECC since 2020, following a public tender, on this successful project of strategic national importance.
The Report, complied by EY, draws on extensive research, including interviews, focus groups, and surveys of households and businesses. It highlights the NBP’s significant benefits in enhancing the quality of life for residents in the State’s Intervention Area, within which the NBP is being rolled out. The Report also emphasises the crucial role of flexible European State Aid rules in enabling the delivery of high-speed broadband to communities where it would otherwise be financially unviable for commercial operators. The full Report can be accessed here.
DECC’s contract for the NBP ensures that National Broadband Ireland (NBI) will roll out a future-proof, high-speed broadband network to homes and businesses in the Intervention Area (IA).
More than 600,000 premises, including new builds, are expected to be connected over the programme’s duration for NBP roll-out. Currently, NBI is operational in all 26 counties, available to over 328,300 premises, and over 102,600 have already been connected.
Minister of State Ossian Smyth expressed his enthusiasm for the Report, stating:
“Five years after the National Broadband Plan contract was signed, it is fascinating to see how this project is turning out. We knew already that project was on time and on budget but now we have credible evidence that the project is delivering higher benefits than expected. The take-up rate of people connecting to the service once it is available is higher than was projected. Every primary and secondary school in Ireland now has fast broadband. Thousands are now working and studying from their rural homes. Businesses, who were surveyed, reported an increase in customers.”
The Report outlines key achievements and benefits of the NBP which include:
- 955 Strategic Community Points (SCPs): By the end of 2023, there were almost 1000 SCPs in schools, community halls, Garda stations, libraries, and other public spaces. These locations offer free high-speed broadband, supporting remote work, cultural events, digital learning, and more, thereby enhancing local communities’ access to education, healthcare, and government services.
- Boost to enterprise: The NBP has increased productivity, improved communication, and reduced costs for businesses. The tourism and hospitality sectors have also experienced a surge in activity.
- Support for Government policies: The NBP has positively impacted several key policies, including the Digital Strategy for Schools, Remote Working Strategy, Digital Connectivity Strategy, Climate Action Plan, National Development Plan, Rural Development Policy, and National Islands Policy.
- Increased provider diversity: The number of Retail Service Providers in the IA has doubled between 2021 and 2023, offering greater choice for end-users.
- Consistent pricing and effects on competition: High-speed broadband prices in the IA are on par with those in commercial areas, with connected households benefiting from bundled communication services.
The NBP is pivotal in Ireland’s transition to a climate-friendly and circular economy. It promotes efficient resource management, enables remote work and services, provides digital platforms for the sharing economy, and supports smart grids and energy efficiency. The Report demonstrates the NBP’s role in delivering widespread direct and indirect benefits for businesses, individuals and communities.
Contributed by Eve O’Leary.
