What Can The GIA Do For Ireland?

The Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) began as an EU-wide effort to reduce the cost of deploying Very High Capacity Networks (VHCNs), such as Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH). It replaced the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive (BCRD) of 2014 and was formalised as Regulation (EU) 2024/1309, entering into force on May 11, 2024. The GIA sets out measures to streamline infrastructure sharing, coordinate civil works, and digitalise permitting processes to accelerate broadband rollouts across the EU.

Member states, including Ireland, must ensure compliance with its provisions within 18 to 24 months, with the key deadline for full implementation by May 2026. The GIA directly applies across the EU, but national legislation is required to address specific elements, such as access rights and exemptions.

The GIA Steering Group (GIASG) in Ireland, was established to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA). Its primary role is to engage key stakeholders—including telecom operators, public sector bodies, local authorities, and regulators like ComReg—to ensure compliance with the GIA by its key deadlines in 2025 and 2026.

The Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) presents both significant opportunities and challenges for Ireland’s telecommunications landscape, as it aims to reduce the costs and improve the efficiency of deploying Very High Capacity Networks (VHCNs), including full-fibre networks.

Some of the key challenges facing the work of the GIASG over the next few months include:

1. Legislative and Regulatory Adaptation:

Implementing the GIA requires significant adaptation of Ireland’s legislative and regulatory frameworks to align with the Act’s requirements. The need for new national legislation to integrate the GIA’s provisions poses challenges, as it requires inter-agency coordination and the alignment of multiple sectors (telecoms, housing, public works).

2. Ensuring Stakeholder Compliance:

With various stakeholders involved, such as telecoms operators, local authorities, and infrastructure owners, there is a need for clear coordination and compliance. The GIA necessitates the creation of the GIASG to monitor progress and resolve issues, which can be complex due to the diversity of interests.

3. Physical Infrastructure Gaps:

One of the challenges is identifying and addressing gaps in the availability and quality of physical infrastructure, especially in urban and less-developed areas. While the GIA promotes the use of existing infrastructure, some areas may lack the necessary assets or face having to make available unremediated damaged or decaying assets, requiring consideration of new investments and coordination.

4. Harmonisation of Permit and Rights of Way Procedures:

Discrepancies between local authorities regarding rules, including on reinstatement obligations can create obstacles especially in the last few metres into the home. Harmonising these processes across the country, as required by the GIA, will require significant administrative changes, coordination, and potential legislative updates.

5. Capacity and Resource Constraints:

The implementation of the GIA will place additional resource demands on public bodies and operators, particularly in terms of managing and updating Single Information Points (SIPs). This could strain the capacity of local authorities and regulatory bodies like ComReg although the work and preparation of the GIASG is likely to mitigate this.

6. Stakeholder Buy-in and Coordination:

Ensuring that all stakeholders, including access seekers (operators) and access providers (infrastructure owners), are fully engaged in the process is crucial but can be challenging. Coordination on civil works and infrastructure sharing often involves navigating conflicting interests, the approach to which needs careful consideration and chaperoning along the journey.

Conclusion

The GIA represents a transformative opportunity for Ireland to expand its digital infrastructure, especially for the deployment of fibre networks, and to meet its national digital connectivity goals. However, it also brings complex challenges related to regulatory adaptation, stakeholder coordination, and ensuring compliance across multiple sectors. Success will depend on efficient management of these factors and the capacity to address legislative, technical, and administrative bottlenecks. The Department of Communications has experience in managing large scale communications projects such as MANs and NBI. Those projects set expectations high for the success of this project too.