Policy information
The National Broadband Plan
From Department of Rural and Community Development; Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) is a government initiative to deliver high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland.
This will be achieved through investment by telecoms companies and a state intervention to bring access to high-speed broadband to locations where commercial investment is not guaranteed.
It is an initiative between the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD).
Through continuing commercial investment, the majority of residents of our cities and towns enjoy high-speed broadband. The areas that are not covered by commercial investment, particularly rural areas, are the target for the state intervention – the NBP.
The plan seeks to ensure a high-speed broadband connection for:
- about 540,000 postal addresses
- 990,000 citizens (21% of national population)
- 381,000 members of the work force (21% of national total)
- 52,057 farms (61% of national total of farms)
- 47,096 Small Medium Enterprises
- 437 schools (13% of total)
- 310 business parks (4% of national total)
If you would like further information in relation to the NBP, or if you would like to check if your premises is located in the intervention area, you can visit the National Broadband Plan website. To locate your premises on the map, enter your Eircode or address into the search box. Find your Eircode here.
The DRCD's role is to make sure that there are no local barriers to the rollout of the NBP and also to help identify priority areas for rollout.
This is done by engaging with all interested parties, such as other government departments. This can also include telecommunications operators, voluntary and community groups, representative bodies, academia and local authorities, particularly local authority Broadband Officers.
For more detailed information of the department's role in rural broadband, mobile phone and digital initiatives, please view the following documents:
