This version, launched by Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment Denis Naughten on Tuesday, promises to deliver high-speed broadband to 300,000 homes and businesses in 90 weeks.

Minister Naughten’s department is working with eir (formerly eircom) to roll the high-speed broadband to the premises by the end of 2018.

High-speed broadband is classed as 30 megabits per-second download and six megabits per-second upload speeds.

Where no commercial operator can supply high-speed broadband to a home of business, the NBP will intervene to provide fibre-powered broadband to the premises.

Speaking at the announcement of the partnership with eir, Minister Naughten said work on the rollout will commence immediately.

“Today is a good day for rural Ireland. The agreement that I have signed with eir means one house every minute of every working day will get fibre to the door, high-speed broadband over the next 90 weeks. Three hundred thousand more rural premises will have access to high-speed quality broadband – that’s an extra 500 houses every day,” Minister Naughten said.

Minister Naughten is now the third minister from the communications portfolio to roll out the NBP since 2012.

The map

Here is a map of where the NBP will be rolled out. A key for the different colours is located below the map.

  • The blue area shows the areas where commercial operators are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high-speed broadband.
  • The light blue represents rural locations where eir is planning to deliver high-speed broadband by the end of 2018.
  • Amber represents the areas that will require state intervention and are the subject of the current procurement process.

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