Public Consultation Opens on Gigabit Infrastructure Act with 2028 Target for Nationwide Coverage

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O'Donovan TD has launched a public consultation seeking views on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, which aims to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband networks across Ireland by 2028.

The online consultation, which opened yesterday (19 December) and runs until 11 February 2026, invites submissions from network operators, public bodies and local authorities on potential exclusions to infrastructure reporting obligations under the Act.

The Gigabit Infrastructure Act is designed to speed up the deployment and reduce the cost of very high capacity telecoms networks (VHCNs) by improving access to existing physical infrastructure and enabling more efficient deployment of new infrastructure.

Minister Patrick O'Donovan said:

"The Gigabit Infrastructure Act will play an important role in delivering on the Government's Digital Connectivity Strategy to have all Irish households and businesses covered by a Gigabit network by 2028. It will promote cross-sectoral sharing of existing physical infrastructure and enhance the coordination of civil works while also streamlining administrative processes."

The Minister has commissioned an expert report and engaged with stakeholders to identify infrastructure that may be excluded from obligations to make information available through a Single Information Point (SIP). These exclusions may apply where physical infrastructure is technically unsuitable for deploying VHCNs or where information obligations would be disproportionate.

The public consultation is accessible at https://gov.ie/GIAArt4, with the consultation period running from 19 December 2025 to 11 February 2026.

A further consultation relating to in-building physical infrastructure and fibre wiring specifications under the Gigabit Infrastructure Act is expected to be launched early next year.