The European Commission decided on Friday 15 November to approve €2.6 billion in public support for Irish National Broadband Plan.
It concludes that the scheme’s positive effects on competition in the Irish broadband market "outweigh potential negative effects brought about by the public intervention". It approved the measure under EU State Aid rules.
The Irish national plan aims to address connectivity deficits across the country and to achieve 100% high-speed coverage. The new network will be capable of supporting download speeds of at least 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 30 Megabits per second (Mbps). It will also provide access to improved broadband services.
The scheme targets areas where no broadband infrastructure offering download speeds of at least 30 Mbps is currently in place, and where no private investor has demonstrated a concrete plan to invest commercially in the near future.
The Irish authorities have developed a comprehensive mapping of the available infrastructure. The subsidised network will offer wholesale access to all operators on an open and non-discriminatory basis and will therefore incentivise private investment in the provision of high-speed internet services to households and businesses in the target areas. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)