Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

New Comms Minister: Eamon Ryan

Options
  • 14-06-2007 6:55pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭


    Just announced by the Taoiseach...


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    Maybe we might finally get proper broadband!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭edanto


    Great news. He really knows his stuff.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭viking


    Here's the Green's election manifesto on communications:
    • carry out a feasibility study into the State re-taking control of Eircom, divesting any commercial operation, and maintaining the fixed-line network as an open access infrastructure to all operators;
    • set the mobile phone operators, cable companies and Eircom into direct competition to get cheaper, faster and more integrated broadband services;
    • review the Government’s rollout of metropolitan area networks to resolve the issues of the delivery of ‘back-haul’ connections and the ‘last mile’ connection to the consumer;
    • consolidate post offices into local community internet/broadband facilities;
    • introduce a proper policing and monitoring system for the operation of mobile phone masts;
    • establish a new unified broadcasting regulator and the similar reconstitution of the RTE Authority to ensure its future independence;
    • develop an all-island digital ‘free to air’ broadcasting service carrying RTE 1 & 2, TG4, TV3 and the Northern Ireland BBC/ITV public service main channels.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭DaBreno


    Delighted. Im impressed by Ryan. He seems knowledgeable and commited, so he's already a massive improvement on whats there. Hopefully, he will implement the Green Comms manifesto and we might finally get some decent Broadband speeds and coverage in this country.

    Good news.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    That is just stuff thrown out to get votes. I think the Greens themselves know it would probably not be a good idea for the State to take over the old copper infrastructure though no doubt Eircom would like to shift it for a hefty price.


  • Advertisement
  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Don't be silly lads,he's not got the authority as minister to impliment the green manifesto.
    He will be fresh and foward thinking though-a vast improvement on what was there and not a friend of Eircom.

    This is good news.
    He might actually force over see-er's to use their teeth fully for a change and give them sharper dentures!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,778 ✭✭✭clohamon


    SkepticOne wrote:
    That is just stuff thrown out to get votes. I think the Greens themselves know it would probably not be a good idea for the State to take over the old copper infrastructure though no doubt Eircom would like to shift it for a hefty price.

    Yes, get out the wallet and pay.

    1. You cannot set up a rival state infrastructure because its unfair to the incumbent (due to capital financing), wasteful and you wouldn't get it past europe.
    2. You cannot invest state funds in one private monopolist to improve their infrastructure because it distorts the market in favour of eircom and spends state money on an asset it doesn't own.

    The only alternative is to buy out the network(the line rental will finance a lot of it). Then you can invest.

    I don't think there's much in the programme for government about communications so he should have quite a free hand.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    He's a very capable politician with the added advantage of being new to the situation. I think this is a great opportunity to have some joined-up thinking on communications.

    Rural areas still need broadband in a lot of cases. For most of those, wireless will have to be the approach. It's the only way to get proper cometition as we see how eircom can be inspired by any threat to enable "uneconomic" exchanges.

    Also, mobile sites could be adapted to allow local wireless companies use them for their own products, if the mast is tall and/or prominent in altitude, at a low cost.


    I wonder what will happen regarding ComReg, and if the decision to abolish ECAP was in any way related to the arrival of a new comms minister??


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    We may have to start a Ireland Off Road Forum
    Eamon Ryan of Green Party is Minister Comms energy and natural resources Dempsey keeps the fish and moves to transport :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    I hope Eamonn Ryan proves to be more than the communications part of the Programme for Govt. suggests. Almost lifted out of FF's manifesto.

    http://www.greenparty.ie/programme_for_government


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,163 ✭✭✭✭Liam Byrne


    Here's the Green's election manifesto on communications
    Considering what they did to their election promises re Shannon and Tara, I'm not holding my breath........


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    Can't say anything about his ability to do the job, but I have to say that whenever he comes on the telly I have to turn him off. Number 3 in my Looking Smug rankings, narrowly beaten by Jeffrey Donaldson.

    (Bush wins by a landslide, obviously.)

    adam


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,886 ✭✭✭cgarvey


    At least it's not Mary O'Rourke


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 95 ✭✭Rather_b_diving


    Let me see - New minister gives Comreg more power - challenged in the high court by eircom, 6 months - highcourt rules with comreg, eircom state 6 months to implement any new process - so we get movement in 12 months oh and eircom have so many people inm regulatory that theres a big sting in the tail moving forward - don't forget that the WLR movement ended up causing a huge issue for moving broadband provider....

    Now policy threatens mobile operators and eircom - 24 months?

    Your dreaming if you think the minister is going to be making life easy anytime soon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,500 ✭✭✭viking


    cgarvey wrote:
    At least it's not Mary O'Rourke
    Seconded...

    I posted the Green's election manifesto not because I naively think thats whats definitely going to happen now one is Minister for Comms but more as a reference to see how much they stick to it / ignore it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28 Fergus Cassidy


    Below is the Communication's section from the agreed programme for government between FF and the Greens. Full doc is at http://www.greenparty.ie/programme_for_government
    COMMUNICATIONS

    Broadband
    A world-class telecommunications sector is critical to our continued economic and social prosperity. We are committed to moving
    Ireland to the forefront of knowledge-based economies in the world through the provision of open access broadband. A state-of-the-
    art telecommunications network will be the key infrastructure that will enable this and support information intensive industry and
    bandwidth-hungry citizens.

    We will:
    • Complete the roll-out of broadband throughout the country with the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). This will mean that
    the last 10%-15% of the country, which will never have access to broadband without intervention or support, will now have
    access to broadband, provided on a technology-neutral basis.
    • Encourage the progressive shift to IP based Next Generation Networks.
    • Encourage the separation of Eircom’s network from its commercial retail business into a separate entity to be regulated by
    ComReg, on a fully open-access and transparent basis.
    • Tender contracts to provide broadband availability to the final 10% of the country. The successful tenderers will have to
    commit to deploy technological solutions to allow maximum competition.
    • Expand the current free telephone rental scheme by providing for free broadband for older people. Industry will be invited to
    tender for the provision of the new bundled broadband and rental service for older people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,290 ✭✭✭damien


    Which is 100% from the FF manifesto.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Note how they mention the fabled "National Broadband Scheme" and then mention it again, except as a "Tender".

    And encouragement is not what eircom needs. It needs to be told that line rental increases are not going to happen in the forseeable future. End of the decade preferably. It has more than enough to invest in IP network with the highest line rental in the world, as well as servicing the debt to its masters.

    And their sites in city centres will be a very significant earner. They seem to own property far beyond exchange and area engineering sites, as you'd expect. A former semi-state comes with lots of property baggage.

    Mabye this minister will take more of a direct approach (fixing prices etc.) instead of loading Comreg with responsibility. The poor dears are probably overwhelmed with drawing doughnuts around tall hills around Ireland.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 88,978 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    You'll proberly find the minsiter is forbidden to interfere in the business of the regulator.

    Mike.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    mike65 wrote:
    You'll proberly find the minsiter is forbidden to interfere in the business of the regulator.
    Has the idea of ministerial directives (Communications act 2002) been done away with?


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,797 ✭✭✭Paddy20


    A change for the better IMHO :) .

    P.:cool:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    We can only hope he does something!! Anything would be better than the last minister!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭rogue-entity


    Good ol' Dial-up Dempsey, Minister for Dial-up, Bottlenecks and Eircom


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    Well, a nice start might be to instruct the Competition Authority (rather than Comreg) to take a quick look at how eircom's behaving.

    There could be an argument to force eircom to split and I suspect that could be done under existing competition law and would be very much in the spirit of what the EU is trying to do in terms of liberalising telecoms.
    brim4brim wrote:
    We can only hope he does something!! Anything would be better than the last minister!!

    Couldn't agree more!
    I look forward to some 'fresh thinking'.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,051 ✭✭✭bealtine


    Solair wrote:



    Couldn't agree more!
    I look forward to some 'fresh thinking'.


    That is very unlikely, the greens will be constrained by government policy (such as it is) and their wiggle room will be very small.

    Just look at the M3 fiasco and how the greens were shafted/capitulated on that issue.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭rogue-entity


    The thing is, the governement (FF) dont have any incentives either way when it comes to communication regulation. The biggest problem with broadband is availability.
    Most of the population live the 5 largest cities, and the various large towns around the country. These are areas served by Eircom and its resellers via enabled DSL lines, Cable operators, wireless and mobile phone providers. In these areas, or close to them, you have a good chance of being able to get it. Even if its only about 4-8% of the country give or take.
    For people living in the rural areas, they have no chance. If they are lucky enough to be within 3 or Vodafone's HSDPA coverage, they can avail of that, but no cable operators and few wireless operators work in the rural majority of ireland. And Eircom is not going to enable exchanges that are not economical for them. Of course, DSL also has the range limits of about 6km give or take, but I believe DSL repeaters can extend this range a good bit also, bet Eircom hasn't heard of those <_<.

    There are a few ways the problem can be dealth with.
    1. Revoke Eircom's National Wireless licence and tender it to another company that will agree to roll out the service across Ireland, preferably prioritising rural areas first.
    2. Buy back Eircoms network (possibly with a CPO? ) and run it as an open network for other competitors to easily get LLU access, and encourage companies to setup wireless options in the rural areas that will never be able to avail of DSL or Cable options due to technical limitations.
    3. Leave the status quo, but pass legislation to give ComReg better powers and the ability to liase with the competition authority in order to deal more effectivly with eircoms stonewalling.


    3. is an option that Ryan could take, little risk of opposition from FF since they dont seem to give a damn one way or the other. And it would (for them) make it look like they really are trying to sort out their huge cockup.

    2. is the preferred option, but I can see FF balking at it, admittance of a big mistake, and having to fork over money to a private company to fix it.. though on the other hand, Eircom's core network is worth less now then it was 10 years ago, and I am sure they will be only too happy to pass a law that allows them to take it back giving eircom the amount the network is worth as opposed to what eircom would want.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    e <_<.

    There are a few ways the problem can be dealth with.
    1. Revoke Eircom's National Wireless licence and tender it to another company that will agree to roll out the service across Ireland, preferably prioritising rural areas first.

    licenceS , 2.3ghz and 3.5gzh should be revoked for gross non compliance ,

    and yes, do a reverse licence where you may not launch in the 5 main cities until you have done all the rest of Ireland first.
    2. Buy back Eircoms network (possibly with a CPO? ) and run it as an open network for other competitors to easily get LLU access, and encourage companies to setup wireless options in the rural areas that will never be able to avail of DSL or Cable options due to technical limitations.

    hand over regulation of eircom wholesale to the competition and simply abolish comreg .
    3. Leave the status quo, but pass legislation to give ComReg better powers and the ability to liase with the competition authority in order to deal more effectivly with eircoms stonewalling.

    nOOOOOOOOoooooo , its too late.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,051 ✭✭✭bealtine


    Sponge Bob wrote:

    hand over regulation of eircom wholesale to the competition and simply abolish comreg .

    This is the only sensible course of action.

    Just remember that the minister is essentially powerless.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,647 ✭✭✭rogue-entity


    What makes me scratch my head at times, is how so many criticise ComReg for not regulating Eircon, while failing to realise they dont have the power to do so in the first place. They need teeth, and they are all gums. Compare our situation here to that in the UK, where the regulator has actually, done its job. Though I could see the buying back of eircom as being the best option, I see it as the most unlikly of options because the government would have to spend money it doesnt want too.

    Now, revoking eircons licence, and splitting the company into two seperate companies, one for the network, the other for the retail, should work. ComReg needs to be reformed rather then abolished, they still manage things like the spectrum (badly), I would favour a watchdog style regulator to oversee the radio, television and other communication channels, at least to give us someone to complain too over issues with RTE and the like. RTE should be split (if not already) into a seperate transmission and broadcasting group as well a-la BBC and National Grid Wireless (I think).


  • Advertisement
  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    If you give ComReg teeth they'd use them to open bottles. They've never even used what they have ffs.

    adam


Advertisement