TII Budget Submission 2025

Telecommunications Industry Ireland’s summary recommendations for Budget 2025 are: 

• Reduce the VAT rate for internet access services delivered over fibre and 5G FWA from 23% to 13.5% to help achieve the National Connectivity Strategy of promoting fibre and 5G
• Extend the Trading Online Voucher Scheme to incentivise SME take-up of very high-capacity networks (fibre and 5G FWA)
• Fund a fit for purpose mobile public warning system as done in Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK
• Use spectrum fees and receipts from spectrum auctions collected from industry to fund a reduction in mobile coverage ‘blackspots’ by building open access neutral host telecommunications infrastructure available to all mobile operators in areas where such infrastructure is not commercially viable, beginning with a 9 site pilot project costing c.€5 million
• Fund a multiannual plan to increase the security of Ireland’s subsea cables in line with EU policy

Energy

It was also recommended that Ireland’s telecommunications networks should be deemed a priority in the unlikely event that there is electricity rationing. This is because they are a critical piece of national infrastructure, playing a vital role in crisis situations and underpin the wider economy.