Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the difference between NBS customers and Non-NBS customers?
  NBS customers are customers located in NBS coverage areas defined in the NBS contract entered into between 3 and the Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR). These customers will receive broadband under the National Broadband Scheme. Non-NBS customers are in all other areas outside defined NBS coverage areas.
  
  
• When is NBS coming to my area?
  3 will launch its marketing campaigns in each NBS region one month in advance of the service being launched. This will include local press and outdoor advertising.
  
  
• How many buildings will receive broadband under the NBS?
  Approximately 234,000 residential, commercial and business premises will receive broadband connectivity.
  
  
• What areas are covered by National Broadband Scheme?
  1,028 (out of a total of 3,440) Electoral Divisions throughout the country will be affected.
  
  
• Is there a regional and by county breakdown available?
  There are a total of 1028 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 EDs by county is provided in the table below.
  
  

  EDs breakdown by county
  County	Number of EDs addressed by NBS
  Carlow	6
  Cavan	45
  Clare	49
  Cork	96
  Donegal	52
  Dublin	0
  Galway	111
  Kerry	85
  Kildare	11
  Kilkenny	33
  Laois	28
  Leitrim	45
  Limerick	57
  Longford	11
  Louth	1
  Mayo	112
  Meath	18
  Monaghan	29
  Offaly	15
  Roscommon	40
  Sligo	28
  Tipperary	50
  Waterford	31
  Westmeath	26
  Wexford	12
  Wicklow	37

  
  
  
• Which NBS areas are already enjoying broadband?
  Broadband is now available in a number of areas under the National Broadband Scheme. Please click here for details.
  
  

• How soon will NBS rollout begin?
  Network rollout plans started from contract signature on December 23rd 2008.
  
  
• How will rollout commence – will it be on a geographical basis?
  Go-live dates will be available on www.three.ie & www.dcenr.ie . The rollout plan and timeline for each area is dependant upon a number of factors including planning permissions for site rollout.
  
  
• By what date will everybody have access to broadband under the scheme?
  All residential and business premises within the National Broadband Scheme coverage area will have broadband connectivity by October 2010.
  
  
• Is there a regional and by county rollout breakdown available?
  Rollout information will be available via www.three.ie and www.dcenr.ie. A coverage checker is currently available on www.three.ie/nbs - users can enter any address in Ireland to see if it is in a National Broadband coverage area.
  
  
•  For existing customers, when the NBS is rolled out, will coverage improve?
  At 3 we are constantly upgrading our network and enhancing the service our customers receive, the NBS programme means you will also be able to use your broadband service in many more locations in Ireland. Please visit www.three.ie  for an up to date coverage map. 
  
  
• What technology is being used in Network rollout?
   3’s network technology is the best available - Nokia Siemens Network I-HSPA solution. I-HSPA (Intelligent High Speed Packet Access) is industry leading technology which allows operators to offer high quality broadband services in a highly cost efficient way. 3’s network is also ready to be upgraded to LTE or Long Term Evolution which is the next step in mobile broadband technology. The masts which 3 deploys across its network are the lowest footprint, highest capacity and lowest power consumption available in the market place. All in all, that means 3 is deploying the very latest and greatest technologies to give you the best broadband connectivity!
  
  
• What customer care facilities will be in place?
   A dedicated customer care team handles all National Broadband Scheme enquiries and will be available 24 x 7 x 365 days per year by calling 1800 944 791. 3 is also establishing a team of field engineers who will be on hand to address any installation or maintenance issues NBS customers may have – up and down the country.
  
  
• How many jobs will be created through the rollout of the scheme?
   Approximately 170 jobs will be created by the NBS.
  
  
• What product will be offered under the NBS?
  3 will extend its network to provide mobile wireless broadband services into NBS areas. The mobile wireless broadband service (HSPA), will have a minimum download speed of 1.6mbps, a minimum upload speed of 1.2Mbps, a maximum contention ratio of 22:1, a latency of 100 milliseconds and a 25gigabit (12 down, 3 up) inclusive monthly download allowance limit.
  
  In recognition of the fact that some areas will be very difficult to reach using standard infrastructure, in a limited number of cases 3 will make available a satellite product, which may cover up to 8% of the NBS areas. The satellite product will have a minimum download speed of 1mbs, a minimum upload speed of 128kbps, a maximum contention ratio of 48:1, latency of 800 milliseconds and a 11gigabit (10 down, 1 up) inclusive monthly download allowance limit.
  
  The mobile wireless broadband services will be upgraded to higher specifications during the contract term without any increase in the monthly recurring charge.
  
  
• What speeds can people expect at launch?
  
  As part of the NBS contract 3 will deliver the following minimum speeds at launch at the edge of cell. Average speeds for customers will be higher.

• Minimum download speed is 1.2Mbps while maximum download speed is 5Mbps
• Minimum upload speed is 200Kbps while maximum upload speed is 1.8Mbps
• Satellite Minimum download speed is 1Mbps
• Satellite upload speed is 128Kbps
  
  
• Are there plans to upgrade speeds?
  Yes. In July 2010 3 will deliver the following minimum speeds at the edge of cell. Average speeds for customers will be however higher.
  • Minimum download speed is 1.6Mbps
  • Minimum upload speed is 1.2Mbps
  • This is subject to contention of 22:1
  • Satellite remains unchanged
    
    In October 2012:
  • Minimum download speed is 2.3Mbps while maximum download speed is 10.4Mbps
  • Minimum upload speed is 1.4Mbps while maximum upload speed is 4.8Mbps
  • Satellite remains unchanged
    
    

• Will there be download and upload limits and what will they be?
• A data cap of 25GB will be available per month
• Satellite will have a data cap of 11GB per month
  
  

• What will be the contention ratio at launch?
• 36: 1 contention
• From 1 July 2010 - 22:1 contention ratio
• Satellite 48:1 contention
  
  

• What will the cost be for the consumer?
  The cost to customers will be €19.99 per month for 25GB data allowance with out of bundle charged at 5 cent per MB. There will be a one-off charge of €49 for hardware.
  
  Satellite will be charged at €19.99 per month 11GB data allowance subject to fair usage. There will be a one-off charge of €49 for hardware.
  
  
• Where can consumers and businesses purchase the service?
  There are loads of places up and down the country where you can buy 3’s broadband services. Call into one of 3’s 500 authorised retail outlets, call our dedicated sales line or visit three.ie anytime.
  
  
• How much is the scheme costing?
  The value of the investment required to implement the scheme is c. €223m. The Government is contributing €79.8m to the cost of the project over the 68 month contract period.
  
  
• Is the NBS project co-funded by the EU?
  The project will attract EU co-funding under the ERDF 2007-2013 of approximately €30m, reducing the net cost to the Exchequer to approximately €50m.
  
  
• What expertise has 3 in this area?
  3 is the leader in mobile broadband with the most innovative products, best value services and most experience in managing a first-class mobile broadband network. We have 350,000 customers of which 120,000 are mobile broadband customers in Ireland. The 3 Group has 2 million mobile broadband customers in Europe.