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Rural Broadband Scheme Information Megathread

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    #122
    brcwatters
    Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭brcwatters


    I've been offered
    • Eircom (If I could get broadband from eircom, why would I be on the RBS?) & emobile
    • O2 - already use their dongle
    • QSAT
    • Ripplecom

    I've heard from QSAT and Ripplecom. To be honest I'm not sure really - my O2 dongle gives me good enough speeds:

    1905052571.png

    This is fairly typical. Why should I pay 100 euro plus 40 a month for something which may or may not be any better than what I'm currently paying 15 for, plus O2 are a fairly decent company to deal with.

    I'm not going to be gaming on it - I work as a developer from home, so it's mainly downloading/uploading text, working remotely via logmein or a vpn etc, plus general surfing, youtube, club penguin etc - if I thought I was going to get blistering speeds etc then maybe but based on feedback on boards for either of those companies, it doesn't inspire great confidence. Only thing is that ripplecom have the phone package for an extra tenner and I would love to ditch eircom altogether but will have to have a serious think.


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    #123
    Bill Shock
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭Bill Shock


    This is fairly typical. Why should I pay 100 euro plus 40 a month for something which may or may not be any better than what I'm currently paying 15 for, plus O2 are a fairly decent company to deal with.



    I understood RBS was only for non-NBS rural premises that could not get a service froma commercial provider. how are you in the scheme based on the above?:confused:


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    #124
    brcwatters
    Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭brcwatters


    I don't have broadband - only an O2 dongle.


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    #125
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    brcwatters wrote: »
    I don't have broadband - only an O2 dongle.

    As far as the scheme is concerned O2 Mobile Broadband (dongle) is Broadband. For the early sign up to the RBS they didn't ask if you had any form of Mobile Broandband but later on you got asked about it but you could still just say you'd tried it and it didn't work very well in you area.

    Quite a few people in my area have 3 MBB and were told that they couldn't participate in the RBS untill they said it was cr4p and didn't work half the time which was true.


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    #126
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    Ripplecom offer received

    6Mb/1Mb Down/Up
    50 GB allowance per month
    36:1 contention ratio

    Upfront charge 99.99
    Monthly charge 39.99

    Contact period 12 months

    Not available from my area due to geography/flora


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    #127
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    long_b wrote: »
    Ripplecom offer received

    6Mb/1Mb Down/Up
    500GB allowance per month
    36:1 contention ratio

    Upfront charge 99.99
    Monthly charge 39.99

    Contact period 12 months

    Not available from my area due to geography/flora

    500Gb :confused: Mine says 50Gb then a euro a Gb for every Gb over the limit.

    But totally useless as its always been because I have line of site to the two sides of a valley and the sea.


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    #128
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    baords dyslexic wrote: »
    500Gb :confused: Mine says 50Gb then a euro a Gb for every Gb over the limit.

    But totally useless as its always been because I have line of site to the two sides of a valley and the sea.

    Typo, it's 50 GB.


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    #129
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    long_b wrote: »
    Typo, it's 50 GB.

    But it could be 5000000000GB and still be useless to me and you :rolleyes:.

    I'm going to give one of the other small Wireless operators a ring on Monday that have contacted me via the RBS and see if they can do a deal for a dozen houses in the area, it would need them spending money to get a signal here but if a few of us want it then it might be worth their while. Otherwise that leaves QSat which is NOT and option.


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    #130
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    baords dyslexic wrote: »
    But it could be 5000000000GB and still be useless to me and you :rolleyes:.

    I'm going to give one of the other small Wireless operators a ring on Monday that have contacted me via the RBS and see if they can do a deal for a dozen houses in the area, it would need them spending money to get a signal here but if a few of us want it then it might be worth their while. Otherwise that leaves QSat which is NOT and option.

    From chatting to the installer the main issue they were having was getting permission/planning for the use of suitable "high" sites.


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    #131
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Ripplecom have pulled out of areas they serviced in the past....leaving their customers high and dry.


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    #132
    Earthday
    Registered Users Posts: 45 ✭Earthday


    ugh, gave alpawave a ring, found out, I can't get wireless broadband:mad:
    Theres stopping my father now, for getting qsat :( .


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    #133
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    I've had letters from O2 and Eircom - both offering a mobile broadband service.

    They're quoting the usual up to 3.6 Mb speed, terms not much different to what you can get on their regular packages.

    How can they seriously expect me to believe that they can maintain a steady 2Mb minimum speed as per the scheme spec given the nature of their product - am I missing something here ?


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    #134
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    They must supply repeaters to amplify the signal...thereby interfering with neighbours not on the RBS. Write to them to clarify the nature of the guarantee.


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    #135
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    They must supply repeaters to amplify the signal...thereby interfering with neighbours not on the RBS.

    How so Bob ? Would it not make everyone's signal better ? Or would I just be sucking up all the data that's available from the mast ?


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    #136
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    They must supply repeaters to amplify the signal...thereby interfering with neighbours not on the RBS. Write to them to clarify the nature of the guarantee.

    Nobody has to supply anything at all, thats the nature of the RBS, if I sign up for a service under the RBS and the service isn't up to standard all the provider has to do is say sorry we can't supply the service and walk away.


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    #137
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    baords dyslexic wrote: »
    Nobody has to supply anything at all, thats the nature of the RBS, if I sign up for a service under the RBS and the service isn't up to standard all the provider has to do is say sorry we can't supply the service and walk away.

    Funny you should say that - just off the phone with O2.

    Asked them what the difference was between signing up with them for RBS versus getting a dongle from a shop - the decent guy on the phone agreed there was very little difference (14 day cooling off as against 7 days for the over-the-counter).

    I asked were they rolling out any hardware to help improve speeds/signal for possible RBS subscribers (as 3 did for the NBS) - he said they weren't.


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    #138
    piskins72
    Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭piskins72


    Just off the phone with 3 about this scheme, they were one ISP's in the initial letter, in a rural enough area(already tried other providers) I already have a 3 mobile broadband dongle with very poor speeds and often cannot even find a signal depending on where I am in house and the girl was trying to sell me exactly what I have already.

    Tried to explain that I already have a dongle with crap speeds and were they offering me any alternative, was trying to push me to sign up to a Mi-Fi hotspot dongle there and then which if I am correct is not going to make any difference to my speed that I get, so IMO a compete waste of time this scheme is turning out to be. Looking very likely that my only option will be Qsat. I am located in North kerry


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    #139
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    piskins72 wrote: »
    ... so IMO a compete waste of time this scheme is turning out to be. Looking very likely that my only option will be Qsat...

    Couldn't agree more.

    None of the providers are spending any money on providing a service under the scheme. The only difference seems to be we would get slightly better terms from QSat.


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    #140
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    long_b wrote: »
    Couldn't agree more.

    None of the providers are spending any money on providing a service under the scheme. The only difference seems to be we would get slightly better terms from QSat.

    Its like the governments was saying we were too stupid to find a broadband provider for ourselves :rolleyes:

    Well they haven't proved any better at it :mad:


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    #141
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    Had QSat call today wanting to know if I was intersted, the call became confontational fairly quickly when I said they were bottom of my list and the rep wanted to know why that was :rolleyes:. I hate calls like that anyway, if I want their service the letter is still on my desk to send off but that seems unlikely.


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    #142
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Another crock of sh1t designed by the Department of Communications eh! :(

    Tell Qsat to send you written details of their offers only.


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    #143
    johnners2981
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭johnners2981


    Got a letter from qsat even though I didn't give permission to be contacted so wasn't impressed with that, not only that, they charge €149.99 for installation and a 10gb limit for €44.99 which is outside these service specifications of the RBS

    Minimum uncharged data cap 11 GB (10 GB down, 1 GB up)
    Upfront fee not to exceed 100 euros incl VAT
    Monthly cost not to exceed 40 euros/pm incl VAT


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    #144
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    johnners2981 wrote: »
    Got a letter from qsat even though I didn't give permission to be contacted so wasn't impressed with that, not only that, they charge €149.99 for installation and a 10gb limit for €44.99 which is outside these service specifications of the RBS

    Minimum uncharged data cap 11 GB (10 GB down, 1 GB up)
    Upfront fee not to exceed 100 euros incl VAT
    Monthly cost not to exceed 40 euros/pm incl VAT

    Not contacted might just mean they aren't supposed to phone you?

    If you didn't sign and return the form to allow them to contact you then you are out of the RBS scheme so won't get the RBS deal.

    Not sure where you get the installation charge from as its €99 on all packages from them and if you want to pay them for a wireless modem then thats up to you.

    I still won't be using them, it will be interesting to hear what spin gets put on the final take up of the RBS, of the 5 people nearest me who signed up not one is going for anyone on the list and 2 are definitely thinking of using onwave rather than qsat on the RBS.


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    #145
    piskins72
    Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭piskins72


    there was 2 other providers on my letter but I have not heard anything from them yet, has any one signed up with Q-sat under the scheme yet?


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    #146
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    piskins72 wrote: »
    there was 2 other providers on my letter but I have not heard anything from them yet, has any one signed up with Q-sat under the scheme yet?

    They may not bother contacting you. They are under no obligation to. Its all part of the wonderfully crap RBS scheme which is a waste of time and money.

    Only the vultures like QSat will definitely contact you, that way the scheme will be deemed a success as everyone will have been contacted by the one company that can provide a service even if its a very limited one (latencey and download limits).


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    #147
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    Of the 4 people/houses nearest me in our area that applied for the RBS not one of them has gone with a RBS supplier :rolleyes:

    Two have gone with Onwave (not an RBS supplier) because they didn't like dealing with QSat (I didn't say a word and QSat managed to put them off all on their own) and two others won't be bothering.

    I'm probably also a not bother, neither Wireless suppliers can help me and I'm in the side of a hill so can't easliy get QSat (I'm sure they can cobble something up but no thanks).

    So thats about it for me the RBS, how have other folks fared?


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    #148
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,934 ✭✭✭long_b


    Another disappointed non -customer here.
    None of the mobile providers have taken it the least bit seriously.
    Not looking forward to the spin from the government on this :(


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    #149
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    long_b wrote: »
    Another disappointed non -customer here.
    None of the mobile providers have taken it the least bit seriously.
    Not looking forward to the spin from the government on this :(

    The one wireless provider I recommended and know that everyone locally called didn't get back to anyone - what can you do :rolleyes:


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    #150
    orwellg84
    Registered Users Posts: 139 ✭✭orwellg84


    baords dyslexic wrote: »
    So thats about it for me the RBS, how have other folks fared?

    I'm not because of a quirk of fate, yes one of them that happens in Ireland a lot, in the RBS because I guess the Eircom map says we can get NGB. Not only can we not get any Eircom BB but we can't get any FWA supplier either since Eircom switched off FWA. Ive done a lot of research and can only surmise that the whole issue of rural .... no even semi suburban rural broadband coverage is a total pigs ear of a job.

    The only end game solution I can see is a proper plan of implementation such as the UK rural scheme. In the mean time using midband restricted expensive solutions such as mobile is the only realistic option available.

    Even then, I guess until rural/semi rural dwellers stand up together and demand a scheme on par with electrification, we will remain in a technology backwater and paying huge prices for a substandard service.


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    #151
    annieb2010
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭annieb2010


    I was accepted under the Rural Broadband Scheme and my letter stated 2 companies that could offer me broadband. 1-Ripplecom and 2-QSat. I had Ripplecom out but they couldn't pick up a signal :-(

    I was very reluctant about QSats offer and serive but as I can't even get a signal with a mobile broadband dongle and really need some form of internet access, I decided to ring QSat about two weeks to sign up under the Rural Broadband Scheme. Was told that they couldn't offer me broadband as per the Rural Broadband Scheme as that was only available for a limited time :-( so if I wanted I would just have to sign up to their normal packages. I did reluctantly sign up for the service. Data cap for €40 per month is only 8GB!!!! I'm sure the kids won't be long going through that allowance every month. Due to have it installed this week sometime so hopefully it works out (althought anything is better than nothing at this stage)


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