Written answer
Broadband Infrastructure
The initiative installed 300 Broadband Connection Points, typically serving 5,000 monthly users, with €4.3 million infrastructure and €800,000 project funding invested.
4282. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide an update on the Broadband Connection Points initiative, including the number of Broadband Connection Points originally planned, the number currently operational, by county, the number no longer operational, the funding allocated and expended on the initiative to date, and the utilisation levels of each Broadband Connection Point; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58125/26]
Comment on this
Broadband Connection Points (BCP) were an initiative under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) in collaboration with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.
They provide high-speed broadband connectivity in some of the most isolated and rural communities throughout the country. 300 BCP's have been installed in publicly accessible buildings such as community centres, libraries, sports facilities, tourist locations and other public spaces. A breakdown by county is provided below.
Usage varies by the size and intended purpose of the BCP with some larger locations setup for remote working and delivery of programmes while smaller locations provide external WiFi access only. Typically, over 5,000 people use a BCP in any given month with over 300 TerraBytes of data used.
To date my department has invested €4.3 million on BCP infrastructure and continues to reimburse 75% of the retail service provider costs to local authorities.
My department also continues to provide support for projects in BCPs which demonstrate the opportunities that connectivity and remote delivery offers and provide solutions to challenges or address gaps in service that have been identified by the Department, local authorities or other stakeholders. Over €800,000 has been invested to date in projects in thematic areas such as Digital Skills and Education, Arts and Culture and Remote Working. These projects have been developed in partnership with key stakeholders and rolled out to suitable BCP's across the network.
BCP's by county: