How much will the NBS cost?
The total value of the investment required to implement the National Broadband Scheme is estimate at circa €223m, of which the Government is contributing €79.8m.
The project is eligible for EU co-funding under the ERDF 2007-2013.
Who will receive broadband under the National Broadband Scheme?
Any fixed residential or business customer located within the NBS coverage area can apply for broadband services under the scheme. There are approximately 235,000 buildings located within the NBS coverage area.
What areas are covered by the National Broadband Scheme?
1028 Electoral Divisions throughout the country are provided with broadband coverage under the NBS.
Individual county maps, together with the list of Electoral Divisions covered under the scheme within each county, are available on the Department’s website at www.dcenr.gov.ie/NBS.
Maps, including an online address checking facility, are available on 3's website at www.three.ie/nbs 
.
Is there a regional and county breakdown of areas to be covered available?
There are a total of 1028 NBS Electoral Divisions (EDs), of which 543 EDs (or 53%) are located in the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) region and 485 (or 47%) are located in the Southern and Eastern (S&E) region.
The breakdown of NBS EDs by county is provided in the table below.
|
No of EDs Addressed by NBS |
|
County |
|
County |
|
|
Carlow |
6 |
Longford |
11 |
|
Cavan |
45 |
Louth |
1 |
|
Clare |
49 |
Mayo |
112 |
|
Cork |
96 |
Meath |
18 |
|
Donegal |
52 |
Monaghan |
29 |
|
Dublin |
0 |
Offaly |
15 |
|
Galway |
111 |
Roscommon |
40 |
|
Kerry |
85 |
Sligo |
28 |
|
Kildare |
11 |
Tipperary |
50 |
|
Kilkenny |
33 |
Waterford |
31 |
|
Laois |
28 |
Westmeath |
26 |
|
Leitrim |
45 |
Wexford |
12 |
|
Limerick |
57 |
Wicklow |
37 |
What product is offered under the NBS?
3, the NBS Service Provider, has extended its network to provide mobile wireless broadband services into the NBS coverage area.
At the outset, the mobile broadband service (I-HSPA) had a minimum download speed of 1.2Mbps and a minimum upload speed of 200kpbs and relevant product specifications are summarised below.
|
Wireless Mobile (I-HSPA) |
Min (at cell edge) |
Max (at cell centre) |
|
Download Speed |
1.2Mbps |
5Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
200kbps |
1.8Mbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
36:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
120ms |
Following the first contractual upgrade of the mobile broadband service in July 2010, the minimum download speed is 1.6Mbps and the minimum upload speed is 1.2Mpbs, and relevant product specifications are summarised below.
|
Mobile Wireless (I-HSPA) upgrade July 2010 |
Min (at cell edge) |
Max (at cell centre) |
|
Download Speed |
1.6Mbps |
6.8Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
1.2Mbps |
4Mbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
22:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
100ms |
In recognition of the fact that some areas are very costly and difficult to reach, in a very limited number of cases, 3 makes available a satellite product of 1Mbps download and 128kbps upload, as summarised below.
|
Satellite |
|
|
Download Speed |
1Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
128kbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
48:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
800ms |
The products will be upgraded to higher specifications during the contract term without any increase in the monthly recurring charge.
Are there download and upload limits and what are they?
In the case of mobile wireless product, an uncharged monthly data cap of 25GB (20GB download and 5GB upload) applies. The limits will be upgraded to higher specifications during the contract term without any increase in the monthly recurring charge.
In the case of satellite product, an uncharged monthly data cap of 11GB (10GB download and 1GB upload) applies.
Are there plans to upgrade speeds?
Following the first upgrade of the mobile wireless product in July 2010, a further contractual upgrade will take place in October 2012. Relevant product specifications are summarised below:
|
Mobile Wireless (I-HSPA) Upgrade October 2012 |
Min (at cell edge) |
Max (at cell centre) |
|
Download Speed |
2.3Mbps |
10.4Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
1.4Mbps |
4.8Mbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
18:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
100ms |
In the case of satellite product, contractual upgrades will take place in 2012 and 2014, as summarised below.
|
Satellite Upgrade July 2012 |
|
|
Download Speed |
1.6Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
256kbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
48:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
800ms |
|
Satellite Upgrade October 2014 |
|
|
Download Speed |
2Mbps |
|
Upload Speed |
256kbps |
|
Maximum contention ratio |
48:1 |
|
Round-trip latency |
800ms |
Under what circumstances is satellite used as a means of provision of broadband?A maximum of 5% of fixed residences and businesses in the NBS coverage area may be provided with a service using satellite.
It is a matter for the service provider to decide where a satellite solution is deployed for technical reasons, within the specified limits.
How much will the NBS product cost?
The cost is €20.32 per month (including VAT), with a maximum once-off connection fee of €49 (including VAT) which covers the cost of the necessary equipment.
How does the Department monitor the NBS service performance?
Under the NBS contract, 3 is required to deliver guaranteed service standards with respect to product speeds, contention ratio, customer interface, wholesale service, reporting and marketing.
3’s NBS solution has been dimensioned to deliver the guaranteed NBS product specification to all NBS areas. The NBS network comprises of a high number of sites to ensure that a deep coverage is provided using the latest Internet High Speed Packet Access (I-HSPA) technology. This solution reduces the number of customers receiving service from a single site and the use of the latest technology means that the product received by NBS customers meets the NBS quality requirements. Where required, 3 deploy devices to boost signal strength at customer premises to ensure guaranteed service levels.
The Department, along with the assistance of independent technical consultants, Analysys Mason Ltd, actively monitors performance of the infrastructure, service availability, service delivery and customer experience as well as overall compliance with contractual obligations by 3 on a monthly basis throughout the contract term.
Upgrades of the network and its capacity are automatically triggered at contractually agreed levels of traffic to ensure that the quality of the broadband service is maintained and enhanced over the period of the contract.
Additionally, the NBS contract imposes a service credit regime on 3 with significant consequences in the event of proven failure to meet the contractually binding service or customer service obligations.
3’s mobile wireless broadband solution is future-proofed and there is a strong evolution path for I-HSPA technology to Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), which is expected to enhance significantly the quality and speed of mobile broadband.
How can I subscribe to the NBS Service?
All customers located within the NBS coverage area can avail of the NBS service by contacting “3”, the NBS Service Provider:
What are the Terms and Conditions for the NSB product?
The Terms and Conditions for NBS customers, detailing all legal aspects of their contract with 3 along with the NBS Service Level Agreement which outlines NBS service specifications and expected support levels, are available on 3’s website at www.three.ie/pdf/NBS_smallprint.pdf 
.
What can I do if I am a NBS customer and I am experiencing problems with my NBS broadband service?
Any NBS customer experiencing problems with the NBS service should contact “3”, the NBS Service Provider by phone at 1913 (free of charge), via email to nbssupport@three.ie or by post to 3 Customer Services, Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd, PO Box 333, Dublin 2, Ireland.
What can I do if I am not a NBS customer and I am experiencing problems with my broadband service?
Any non-NBS customers experiencing problems with their broadband service should contact their service provider to seek resolution.
In cases where customers have exhausted the service provider’s complaint handling procedures, they can contact Irish Communications Regulator, ComReg, at 1890 229 668 or online at http://www.askcomreg.ie/ or email Consumerline@comreg.ie for further assistance and guidance
