Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce ('the Taskforce') was established in 2016, based on a commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to identify immediate solutions to broadband/mobile phone coverage deficits, and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to full build and rollout of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State intervention.

Throughout its Work Programme from 2017 to 2019, the Taskforce addressed more than 70 targeted actions, bringing lasting change around Ireland, and reducing the urban / rural digital divide so that all citizens can benefit from enhanced connectivity.

Over its three-year lifespan, the actions of the Taskforce have included:

• Helping to identify where infrastructure is most needed
• Reducing both the administrative and capital cost of deploying certain telecoms infrastructure, and
• Providing citizens, businesses and the telecommunications industry with greater transparency as to where services are available

The Taskforce was a model example of what could be achieved when the necessary structures were in place to facilitate open dialogue amongst a diverse range of stakeholders, spanning industry, local authorities, Government agencies and rural communities across Ireland. All quarterly, annual and review reports of the 2017-2019 Work Programme of the Taskforce are accessible on the Government of Ireland website. A three-year review of the Work Programme of the 2017-2019 Taskforce, which reflected on all of its previous work and achievements, was also published. Please see the report below.

The Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was re-established on 15 December 2021 with a meeting of the State stakeholders, co-chaired by the then Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, TD and the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications at the time, Ossian Smyth, TD, with special responsibility for Communications. All key State stakeholders attended, including the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) and ComReg, acting as an independent advisor to the Taskforce.

Specific actions for delivery in the short, medium and long-term were identified in the context of working to develop the new Work Programme of the Taskforce. This helped to ensure that, where barriers to telecoms infrastructure rollout within the State's control were identified, appropriate assessment and intervening measures were to be identified and action taken.

Key priority areas the Work Programme 2022-2025 of the Taskforce addressed included:

• Improving outdoor mobile phone coverage in both rural and urban areas;
• Ensuring the efficient use of infrastructure and assets to support the rollout of telecoms networks;
• Removing remaining barriers in permit granting, planning and licencing procedures; and
• Improving both the quality and availability of information to consumers regarding telecoms products and services on the market.

This helped to support the roll out of the National Broadband Plan and the deployment of high-quality networks by other operators providing fixed and mobile data and telephony services, not least in rural areas, but right across the country.

All minutes from the meetings of the Taskforce are available on the Government of Ireland website.

The Work Programme for 2022-2025 of the Taskforce is available below, along with its associated Terms of Reference and the Annual Report for 2022-2023.

At the biannual meeting that took place in November 2023, Taskforce members were invited to submit proposals for actions to be included in a revised Work Programme. A revised Work Programme for 2024-2025 was subsequently launched at the first biannual meeting of the Taskforce for 2024.

The National Stakeholder Forum is an opportunity for all stakeholders - public sector, private sector, community, representative groups and others - to network, discuss sectoral developments and feed into the formation of the Taskforce Work Programme.

A National Stakeholder Forum, took place at 15 February 2023. Itfeatured presentations on 'Connectivity as an enabler for balanced regional development' by Brian Looney, Broadband Officer, Co. Kerry and 'Connectivity as an enabler of innovation' by Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE.

The slides presented at the forum are available below: