Minister Eamon Ryan welcomed the strong growth in broadband take-up, as announced in ComReg’s Quarterly Report today.

As of the end of September this year, a total of 793,600 Irish consumers had subscribed to broadband. This represents a penetration rate of 18.4%.

Commenting on the ComReg report, Minister Ryan said, “These latest statistics are highly encouraging. Broadband now accounts for two-thirds of internet subscriptions in the country. Between June 2006 and ‘07, our growth rate was the highest in the OECD.

Interestingly, 88,400 Irish people subscribed to mobile broadband services. Increased competition will continue to propel this market.

These latest statistics illustrate the appetite among Irish consumers for broadband services. The rapid uptake is evidence of the need to provide a high quality, highly efficient broadband programme for Ireland. In the first quarter of next year, my Department will publish a paper on Next Generation Networks, which will set out the optimum level and means of Government intervention in the broadband market, among other telecommunications issues.

I am determined that Ireland will be well positioned to continue broadband roll-out and maintain similar growth figures in the near future.”

ENDS

Note to Editors:

For the first time, in Q3 2008, ComReg has provided a breakdown of broadband subscriptions by speed across all broadband platforms. Residential users are more likely to subscribe to packages of between 1 and 2 Mb, whereas business subscribers are more likely to subscribe to broadband offers in the 2Mbps – 10Mbps category.

Note: Mobile broadband is not yet being used for international statistic comparison purposes. International comparisons including mobile broadband data are expected shortly.

Further details available on the ComReg website; www.comreg.ie

Fáilte ón Aire Ó Riain roimh na Figiúir is déanaí faoi Bhorradh Leathanbhanda

Baile Átha Cliath, 18 Nollaig 2007

Chuir an tAire Ó Riain fáilte roimh an tréan-bhorradh i leathanbhanda agus i gceangailt leis mar a léirítear i dTuarascáil Ráithe ComReg an lae inniu.

Anuas go dtí deireadh Meán Fómhar na bliana seo bhí 793,000 tomhaltóirí Éireannacha in iomlán a íoc síntiús as leathanbhanda. Ciallaíonn seo dul i bhfód ar 18.4% den mhargadh.

Ag tagairt dó do Thuarascáil ChomReg, dúirt an tAire Ó Riain: “Is cúis mhisnigh iad na staitisticí seo. Seasann leathanbhanda anois mar dhá thrian de shíntiúis idirlíon sa tír. Ó Mheitheamh 2006 go dtí Meitheamh 2007 dob é an ráta fáis againne an ráta fáis ab airde san Eagraíocht um Chomhar agus Fhorbairt Eacnamaíochta (ECPE).

“Is suntasach gur íoc 88,400 Gaeil síntiús le seirbhísí leathanbhanda taistil. Tiomáinfear an margadh seo fós leis an mborradh i gcúrsaí iomaíochais.

“Léiríonn na staitisticí is déanaí go bhfuil fonn ar tomhaltóirí na hÉireann seirbhísí leathanbhanda a úsáid. Léiríonn a thapa atá líon na dtomhaltóirí ag fás go bhfuil gá le clár ar ard-chaighdeán ard-éifeachtach a sholáthar d’Éirinn. San chéad ráithe den bhliain seo chugainn foilseoidh an Roinn agamsa páipéar ar Ghréasáin na Chéad Glúine Eile, ina leagfar amach an oiread agus an bhealach is fearr don Rialtas cur isteach ar an mhargadh leathanbhanda agus saincheisteanna teileachumarsáide eile.

“Tá beartaithe agam go mbeidh Éire i riocht leanúint de leathanbhanda a eisrothlú agus de rátaí fáis de chomh-oiread a bhaint amach san gar-thodhchaí”

CRÍOCH

Nóta d’eagarthóirí:

Tá léiríthe ag ComReg don céad uair, seo i leith tríú ráithe 2007, miondealú na síntiús leathanbhanda de réir luais agus i leith na mbonn leathanbhanda uilig.

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