The GIA’s Irish Road Trip
The Plan
The Gigabit Infrastructure Act is the EU’s latest attempt to get network utilities and public bodies to share their existing physical infrastructure (PI); poles, towers, ducts, cabinets etc., with telecoms networks. It does so by a presumptive right to access, a Single Information Point (SIP) – to discover the PI, and a dispute resolution body. The net objectives are to accelerate deployment of Very High Capacity Networks (VHCNs), and to reduce environmental and financial costs.
It also provides for coordination of new PI developments between telecoms and other networks, and requires the SIP to act also as a portal for nationally consistent and timely permitting. And it specifies technical standards for fibre and duct provisioning in new or refurbished buildings.
Getting Ready for the off
The GIA replaces the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive (BCRD) It came into force on 11th May 2024 and most its provisions have applied since 12th November 2025. Complementary guidelines on in-building access and the coordination of civil works were provided by the EU regulators body BEREC in October 2025. The final pieces; technical standards and the SIP, have applied since 12th February 2026 and 12th May 2026 respectively.
Are We There Yet?
Meanwhile the Irish implementation looks to be still some way off. There’s evidence of a start in April 2023 followed by a dedicated steering group in September 2024 – the GIA-SG – comprising network industries, trade associations and public bodies. Engagement by members appears to have been mixed. Two project directors departed in succession in 2024 and 2025. Consultants, WIK, were appointed to advise and report; first on the PI exemptions and recently on technical standards and certification for new buildings. Legislation to appoint a dispute settlement body and codify the PI exemptions is scheduled with low priority for the Dáil’s 2026 Summer session; as has been the case since the Spring 2025 session.
So, even though the regulation is now law here, it’s difficult to see how it could be used in any meaningful way. There’s no list of PI exemptions, no dispute settlement body, no technical specifications for new developments, no official inspectorate to check compliance. There’s no Single Information Point nor evidence of relevant procurement nor a “competent body” to manage it.
The Road Ahead
There are other issues. WIK adverts to a lack of asset registers amongst local authorities and the LAs themselves are currently experiencing industrial action from ICT staff. Whether LA assets are surveyed for inclusion in the SIP will be subject to Cost Benefit Analysis, though it’s not clear when or even if.
Then there’s the implementation of the Single Information Point which requires some conformity across the PI data. There are indications that DCCS is contemplating a distributed data infrastructure with the SIP simply acting as a hub with little control over data conformity.
In relation to the LA’s permitting procedures, their planning processes currently divide between ePlan and various flavours of the Agile system; enforced standardisation might be perceived as loss of autonomy. Moreover, in the absence of a decision, article 8[1] grants permission after 4 months by default; also potentially contentious.
Regarding technical standards the Department of Housing didn’t see the GIA as their problem. In 2024 they wrote to the GIA-SG,
“…DHLGH has no remit over telecommunications and we are of the view that in general, regulations to facilitate communication cables and infrastructure fall under Section 95 of the Postal and Telecommunications Service Act.“[link added]
…and later on certification of new PI installations,..
“The Building Standards Regulator will not have a remit over telecommunications as it does not fall under the building regulations.“
The Minister is meeting the Dail Committee next Wednesday to set out his legislative priorities. All will be revealed, or not.
Glossary
BCRD – Broadband Cost Reduction Directive
BEREC – Body of European Regulators
GIA – Gigabit Infrastructure Act – an EU Regulation
GIA-SG – Gigabit Infrastructure Act Steering Group
IBFI – In-building Physical Infrastructure
IBFW – In-building Fibre Wiring
LA – Local Authority
PB – Public Body
PI – Physical (or Passive) Infrastructure
SIP – Single Information Point
VHCN – Very High Capacity Network
WIK – WIK-Consult GmbH – Germany