It would be cheaper to dig up the roads and put in new ducting for mobile phone and broadband coverage infrastructure than to use the existing ducting due to current pricing structures, according to Minister for Communications Denis Naughten.

Mr Naughten revealed details of a new taskforce set up to look at the issues of mobile phone and broadband coverage.

“We made a commitment in the Programme for Government that within 100 days we would set up a taskforce to look at the issues of mobile phone coverage across the country and to look at the challenges in relating to 3G, 4G and wireless broadband coverage,” he said.

“Now we are 82 days into Government and we are setting up that taskforce. Behind the scenes we’ve been working on this full time,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“We’re looking at simple, practical steps that can deal with the backlogs that are there regarding rolling out infrastructure across the country. One of the key issues we have to look at is how can we better utilise existing State assets.

“Some conditions that have been put on accessing those assets include uneconomic terms or bureaucratic barriers that have been put place.”

He said: “A practical example of that is Transport Infrastructure Ireland has a range of ducting across this country on the national primary network and on the motorway network, but under the pricing structure it would be cheaper to dig up the road again and put in new ducting than actually access the existing ducting.

“We need to look at that pricing structure. We need to look at the rules and regulations regarding access to ducting across the country and to speed up the roll out of the networks.”

The taskforce will have its first formal meeting today. The Minister says they will engage with local authorities and will report to Government before the end of the year.