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Rural Broadband Scheme Information Megathread

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  • 09-05-2011 10:40am
    #1
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Ok everyone this is basically how it works and this is where everyone can post any questions etc :)

    The Gov have launched a new scheme as outlined on the thejournal.ie which you can read here - http://www.thejournal.ie/plan-for-full-broadband-coverage-in-ireland-by-end-of-2012-133291-May2011/

    Further information is available from the Dept of Communications here - http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Rural+Broadband+Scheme

    Its important to remember that the RBS scheme only applys if you have no access to ANY ISP, Just because you can't get fast 8MB Broadband doesn't mean that you can apply to the RBS. So before you jump in and apply remember the above.

    Appplication form is located here - https://secure.dcenr.gov.ie/InternetRBS/apply/apply?execution=e1s1

    If you apply to the RBS scheme this means they will pay part of the connection costs to a Broadband service if you can't already get a service, this however does not mean you will get free Broadband on a monthly basis.

    How it works is explained on the Dept Of Communications website:
    How will the scheme work?
    There will be a number of phases in the Scheme. This first phase involves inviting and processing applications. The Department will be accepting applications from 9 May 2011 until 29 July 2011.

    In the second phase of the Scheme, the Department will check with existing internet service providers to see if they are willing to provide a service to the premises concerned. If they are willing to provide a service, we will write to you and ask your permission to be contacted by the companies concerned. If a service can be provided to you in this way, your application under the scheme will be closed.

    If none of the companies concerned are prepared to offer you a service, then your application will progress to the next phase in the Scheme. We will write to you at that stage and let you know. We expect the second Phase of the Scheme to be completed by January 2012 at the latest.

    In the third phase of the Scheme, the Department will engage an internet service provider who will offer a basic internet service to applicants. We will pass the details of all applicants to this service provider who will contact the applicants and offer them the service. While the Department will be paying part of the cost of the infrastructure necessary to provide a service under this Scheme, the applicant will be responsible for paying the costs of the service itself. This may include some upfront connection costs as well as monthly charges for the service. Further details of the service and related costs will become available once the Service Provider has been selected. You will not be obliged to take up the offer of a service under this Scheme.

    We expect roll out of this service to commence in early 2012. The Scheme should be completed by the end of 2012 at the latest.


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    #2
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    The department intends to grant one ISP the contract. What they cannot figure out is the demand. If demand is as they project then they have crudely €500 per household in the kitty. If demand greatly exceeds projections it will be less. This thing has been promised since June 2008. It took the department 3 years to sort of figure out what to do.

    This thing was called the Unserved Rural Premises scheme for some time and is now called the "Rural Broadband Scheme" . Much of the funding comes from the Common Agriculture Policy.

    Sadly the department can't even design their own website...eg which bodes ill for a complex scheme like this.

    Here is what they are trying to do, apart from design the final tender based on feedback on this website.

    1. There are 3500 electoral districts in Ireland of which 500 are urban.
    2. The National Broadband Scheme provided a midband or satellite service in 1100 of the 3500 Districts.
    3. The government will allow people in the remaining 1900 RURAL electoral districts AND who cannot get Broadband to register to request a Broadband service. They will probably provide a satellite service off Ka Sat later this year at a decent price.
    4. Nothing will be done for you if you are in an urban area but if you want Satellite cheap get a rural neighbour to get satellite and move the dish!


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    #3
    LoTwan
    Registered Users Posts: 608 ✭✭✭LoTwan


    So I can go ahead & have satellite BB installed now (& pay the installation charge myself) or I can go through the application process, wait at least 8 months & then share the kitty for the installation charge, pay the balance myself & not know the service I'm getting until the tender process is finished?

    I don't think I would survive that long in 4 bar land with my only Internet access being my phone... I suspect I'll be paying for the dish to go up.


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    #4
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,928 ✭✭✭long_b


    What about people who can get midband via 3G/HSDPA signal ?


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    #5
    johnners2981
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭johnners2981


    Still not sure what this means for me, been living off mobile broadband with no coverage for last 2 years because have no access to proper broadband. Just applied there today so maybe I'll know more when I recieve the letter they're sending to me now.


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    #6
    LaVail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭LaVail


    Im living off 3 mobile midband for 1.5 years. Speeds for the past 6months have been horrible with "peak" hours lasting up to 15hrs per day. I constantly get sppeds of 0.12mbps ,

    Three claim perfect coverage in my area although o2,meteor and vodafone do not. They also say my area is not included in the NBS although from what I hear its basically the same thing with the same speeds. Surely speeds like this cannot be considered "broadband" is this what im going to be stuck with for as long as I stay here? One bar signal and speeds of 0.10mbps are a joke in reality its 56k dial up

    speedtest taken just now

    1288675399.png

    When I check the links provided by OP I can see that my area is indicated in "yellow" which states that it is part of the Rural Broadband Scheme.

    What does that mean for me?


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    #7
    yuloni
    Registered Users Posts: 2,040 ✭✭✭yuloni


    This post has been deleted.


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    #8
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    LaVail wrote: »
    When I check the links provided by OP I can see that my area is indicated in "yellow" which states that it is part of the Rural Broadband Scheme.

    What does that mean for me?
    It probably means that a Booster will cost you €400 today but may be free in December or January when this thing actually launches. The Dept of Communications and Analysys Mason will conspire to accept ludicrously optimistic coverage assertions from mobile operators like they did for the NBS...assuming Analysys is involved that is.


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    #9
    roast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭roast


    So they haven't actually granted it to an ISP yet?

    Christ, I really hope they don't award this to Three. :/


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    #10
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    roast wrote: »
    Christ, I really hope they don't award this to Three. :/

    I'm betting good odds that is exactly who will get it,


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    #11
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,832 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    roast wrote: »
    So they haven't actually granted it to an ISP yet?

    Christ, I really hope they don't award this to Three. :/
    is it not already a done deal?
    i.e.

    see this page:
    http://www.three.ie/nbs/index.html


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    #12
    djdrobins
    Registered Users Posts: 37 ✭djdrobins


    Like LaVail,
    I too only get intermittent connection on the 3 mobile network. Lately we can't get a connection until about 10 at night, or between 11 and 3 in the day (week days only - forget about weekends).
    And that is if the weather is good, no rain, bad wind, or snow - 3 hate snow.
    So I have applied and yeah - it appears my address is on the list. But I know that 3 can offer me some sort of a connection and there is a satellite service if i pay 45+ euro a month, plus the 150 installation fee etc (Then the 100 euro for router)
    Gotta love these schemes where they can drip feed the little people who don't live in Dublin, then pat themselves on the back and say "we are bringing broadband to everyone!"


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    #13
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    The contract is not awarded. The thing Rabbitte announced is part of the research before the TENDER goes out later this year.

    If the takeup (registrations) on the new website is low I reckon eircom will get the contract.

    If the takeup (registrations) is high it will be between eircom/meteor and three and quite possibly vodafone

    High means 20,000 plus registrations. Many of those who register will only end up getting a Cheap/Free Ka Sat dish install ( normal cost €500 or €600) no matter who is chosen.


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    #14
    roast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭roast


    The NBS is different to the RBS. Three's coverage in rural areas is horrendous, and the satellite alternative they provide is even worse.

    There's a 90% chance three will get the contract.... I'm just in denial. I really hope they don't!


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    #15
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Dunno about 90%, 50% would be more accurate.


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    #16
    roast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭roast


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    Dunno about 90%, 50% would be more accurate.

    Aye, probably... ;)

    Out of curiosity, who does everyone hope gets the contract?


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    #17
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    roast wrote: »
    Aye, probably... ;)

    Out of curiosity, who does everyone hope gets the contract?

    eircom actually , but that they may deliver no more than 3% of the contract on satellite and that will force them to invest the lot in their network.


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    #18
    yuloni
    Registered Users Posts: 2,040 ✭✭✭yuloni


    This post has been deleted.


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    #19
    johnners2981
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭johnners2981


    well I imagine that the isp that gets the deal will get money from the government for installation and the monthly payments from the customers so basically its a win win for the isp, why else would they want it


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    #20
    LaVail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭LaVail


    As I believe it that mobile midband customers cannot have their speeds throttled, congestion seems to be the biggest problem im facing.

    Three state that any speed over 0.40mbps/400kbps is broadband and recognise that I am not able to obtain these results and in turn not receiving broadband as stated.

    They know this site has major problems for over 12 months but still nothing has been done on their part to improve the quality of service they provide.

    IMO I hope that three doesnt get the RBS because judging on current and past performance they could care less for users facing major difficulty in certain parts of the country.

    Does anyone know if money is going to be invested into improving the quality of mobile midband to existing customers because if I get rejected from the RBS then using mobile midband is my only option.


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    #21
    LaVail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭LaVail


    Just got a call this morning from a lovely Dublin lady and she was looking for my house on google earth, took a while but she found it in the end. She said she was attaching a photo of our house to the info letter they are sending out in the post.

    Hopefully we will meet the criteria and be included in the scheme.


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    #22
    johnners2981
    Closed Accounts Posts: 429 ✭✭johnners2981


    LaVail wrote: »
    Just got a call this morning from a lovely Dublin lady and she was looking for my house on google earth, took a while but she found it in the end. She said she was attaching a photo of our house to the info letter they are sending out in the post.

    Hopefully we will meet the criteria and be included in the scheme.


    when did you apply, I havn't heard anything yet :( Altough I'm not expecting to have broadband installed anytime soon


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    #23
    LaVail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭LaVail


    johnners2981 wrote: »
    when did you apply, I havn't heard anything yet :( Altough I'm not expecting to have broadband installed anytime soon

    I filled out the form the morning it was announced, early last week I think. I was told on the phone that the first 3months will be used to deal with applicants so I wouldnt worry if they didnt call you yet as they will get around to it at some stage.

    Im not very optimistic as to what kind of service we will receive if our application is granted but anything is better then what we have here at the moment :pac:


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    #24
    bealtine
    Registered Users Posts: 4,051 ✭✭✭bealtine


    LaVail wrote: »

    Im not very optimistic as to what kind of service we will receive if our application is granted but anything is better then what we have here at the moment

    Only if you consider satellite midband as "better"


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    #25
    LaVail
    Registered Users Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭LaVail


    bealtine wrote: »
    Only if you consider satellite midband as "better"

    well atm I am only getting 0.10mbps with a ping of 200-350 for hours on end until congestion is eased, so if I got 1mbps from satellite then It would be an improvement, the only real thing I worry about is the ping which could get extremely high..Its a case of six of one or half a dozen of the other I suppose.


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    #26
    William Powell
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭William Powell


    Why are we calling this Broadband when so far the only suggested solutions are Midband?

    Just applied btw :)


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    #27
    William Powell
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭William Powell


    Just got another 4 neighbors to sign up (or at least they say they will), none of them has anything other than a very contended low signal strenght 3 mobile conection. Might go around and see if I can get the rest of the houses in the area to sign up. It would be interesting to know how a dozen or so people in the same area will get treated?


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    #28
    johndub
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭johndub


    I can only hope that Ripple are not awarded anything under the RBS - as someone livinging in a rural area ( South Dublin ) our service with Ripple has been completly down since last Tuesday with no satisfactory explanation - when it is working speed is always an issue.


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    #29
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    William Powell wrote: »
    Why are we calling this Broadband when so far the only suggested solutions are Midband?

    Just applied btw :)

    Because in this country we fudge statistics to make things look better than the dire state they're in. No other country includes mobile. You really thing only 1% can't get broadband like they say?


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    #30
    William Powell
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭William Powell


    Is there any chance Eircom will take some of the money and use it to upgrade some rural exchanges for real Broadband?


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    #31
    Headshot
    Registered Users Posts: 53,847 ✭✭✭✭Headshot


    I signed my brother up to this

    The cruel thing the house right beside him can get Eircom broadband but he cant get it


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