AQW 1667/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 06/09/2011
Answered On Date: 19/09/2011
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Assembly Commission what plans are currently in place to upgrade (i) internet speed; and (ii) the phone system in Parliament Buildings.

Answer:

(i) The Assembly Commission recently procured an independent internet connection for use by Assembly Members, Party staff and Secretariat staff on Assembly business installed in March 2011. The 20 Mbps synchronous connection is performing optimally with no delays or congestion detected.If you are experiencing difficulties accessing a specific website or using a specific piece of Assembly provided equipment please contact the IS Service desk (028 905 21000), the Head of the Information Systems Office or the Director of Information and Outreach, who will be happy to assist.

(ii) At present there are no plans to upgrade the telephone system in Parliament Buildings. However, it is likely that the Assembly will move towards modernising / upgrading the existing system with a view to taking advantage of modern ICT technologies in the near future. This will of course be dependent upon future work schedules and the availability of financial resources.