Eircom outlines plans to extend DSL coverage from today's Irish Times

query

Eircom outlines plans to extend DSL coverage



People living in almost every town in Ireland should be able to sign up for high-speed internet by March 2005 under a new Eircom strategy to extend its broadband service to all parts of the State, writes Jamie Smyth, Technology Reporter

The telecoms firm, which has been criticised for its slow roll out of broadband up until now, will unveil a plan later today that it promises will transform Ireland into a "broadband leader".

Eircom will also ask the Government to divert some of the €140 million funding that it announced last week to deliver broadband to 80 regional towns to be diverted to rural areas. The firm said yesterday that it welcomed the funding announcement from the Government but cautioned that it could result in a duplication of telecoms networks throughout the Republic.

Broadband is a technology that enables people to connect to the internet at speeds at least 10 times faster than by using typical dial up internet connections. It is also a vital tool that enables businesses to trade more efficiently.

Eircom plans to offer high speed internet to consumers and businesses in more than 150 towns across the State, some of which have a population of less than 1,500 people.

New towns that will get broadband under the Eircom scheme include Ballinrobe, Banagher, Donabate, Dunmanway, Kilcock, Kinsealy, Moate, Portrane, Prosperous, Rathangan, Ratoath and Sallins.

The company will also set up a website in January where people living in small towns and villages of less than 1,500 people without access to Eircom's broadband product, I-stream, can register an interest to receive broadband.

When between 200 and 700 people register an interest for subscribing for broadband in that area, Eircom will seek to offer broadband using a range of different internet technologies.

Mr David McRedmond, Eircom's commercial director, said Eircom's new strategy would help make the breakthrough for broadband in the Republic.

"We think we can drive the uptake of broadband even in towns with less than 1,500 people through our promotions," he said. "We think Ireland can be a broadband leader."

Eircom estimates it will enable between 1.25 to 1.5 million telphone lines in the State for digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. There are between 1.6 to 1.7 million fixed lines in Ireland.

DSL is a technology that upgrades normal telephone lines to be able to transmit data at very high speeds. When using the technology customers can stay connected to the web continually without incurring any extra cost.

Eircom's strategy will go some way towards addressing the current digital divide that exists between the Dublin area, which is typically well served by broadband suppliers, and regional areas where often little or no broadband is available to people.

However, it is likely that some customers living in towns enabled for DSL may not be able to sign up for broadband. This could occur if they live more than four kilometres from a telephone exchange or the quality of their telephone line is poor.

Eircom's decision to extend its broadband service follows criticism of the firm's strategy by Government and rivals for more than two years.

They have accused Eircom of being slow to roll out broadband and maintaining wholesale and retail prices that are too high.

Figures provided by Eircom to The Irish Times yesterday show that 30,000 people in the Republic have signed up for some form of broadband service.

The firm is currently taking about 1,200 orders per week for its promotional offer for its i-stream DSL service and says it is on target to sign up at least 70,000 customers by the end of 2004. It expects rival companies will sign up about 30,000 customers.

Eircom also said that 50,000 people had now signed up to receive flat rate internet packages based on a dial-up service.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by query
Eircom will also ask the Government to divert some of the €140 million funding that it announced last week to deliver broadband to 80 regional towns to be diverted to rural areas

Eircom do give a **** about us then :mad: splitters galore out my way, will they get rid of them, i doubt it :mad: so no broadband for me even if it was available

Lex_Diamonds

Ha! Pity its such a poor implementation of BB that can't be easily upscaled to higher speeds. We may have BB everywhere in 2005 ( :rolleyes: ) but it will be a useless network that will become a bigger and bigger joke as time goes by.

dahamsta

it welcomed the funding announcement from the Government but cautioned that it could result in a duplication of telecoms networks throughout the Republic.

Oh my god, the horror! Consumer choice? No!

bk

Originally posted by query

The firm is currently taking about 1,200 orders per week for its promotional offer for its i-stream DSL service and says it is on target to sign up at least 70,000 customers by the end of 2004. It expects rival companies will sign up about 30,000 customers.

Haha, I thought Eircom wwhere going to get 100,000 by 2004.

shinzon

You got to hand it to a company thats so far up it own arse it doesnt have a clue whats needed.

So here they are again papering over the obvious cracks by throwing yet more money at a crumbling telecoms infrastrusture in the hopes that nobody will notice that it wont make a blind bit of difference to the vast majority of the population who will still have no access to broadband through copper.

Broadband everywhere by 2005, Pfft more like 2035.

I wonder what will happen when people want 1mb or 2mb connections or is eircom so far behind that they dont know these connections exist and are quite happy to provide 512K connections forever

What eircom should be doing is ripping up all the copper and replacing it forthwith, thats where the 140 million should be going to

Shin

Xian

If Dermot Ahern is looking for proof that Eircom will only respond to platform competition then this is it. This is a direct, unequivocal response to Friday's announcement that the alternative last mile is to be the focus of the government's broadband strategy and should strengthen the Minister's resolve to hold the course he has plotted.

vibe666

lets not forget the broadband caps. most european countries with broadband have never heard of caps.

it'slike having an all you can eat buffet, and then giving you saucer to eat off and making you walk a mile from your table to where the food is.

i had an uncapped 512kbps connection (again about 50 quid) when i lived in tenerife 2 and a half years ago, and that's a damn site smaller than ireland is, so what's the deal?

yellum

The company will also set up a website in January where people living in small towns and villages of less than 1,500 people without access to Eircom's broadband product, I-stream, can register an interest to receive broadband.

Classic ! A direct copy of BTs idea and they beat EsatBT to the idea too.

Walter Ego

I wish people would give Eircom a chance.
Why only this morning they installed my brand spanking new Telex machine.
Its spiffing.

raster

Originally posted by Silent Death
I wish people would give Eircom a chance.
Why only this morning they installed my brand spanking new Telex machine.
Its spiffing.

On a serious note can you still get those, I know some solicitors with a telex number still on their headed paper

viking

This is fantastic news, fair play to ye Eircom...

When between 200 and 700 people register an interest for subscribing for broadband in that area, Eircom will seek to offer broadband using a range of different internet technologies

So when 200 sign up you will offer broadband, or is it 700? What happened to the 100 your marketing department told me????

How in God's name are you seeking to encourage small towns to register for BB when you've now doubled the number of signups required?

I'm sorry but I am ****ing raging mad at this!

The Broadband4Kinnegad campaign has 50 registrations, we were half way to reaching the "circa 100" figure I had been given. Now it seems we're only 25% of the way there!

I'm dying to see what "promotions" Eircom are going to introduce to drive the uptake of broadband in towns with less than 1,500 people! I can guarantee that after this announcement we are going to need every help we can get to achieve between 200 and 700 registrations.

Yours pissed off,

viking

sceptre

Originally posted by viking
So when 200 sign up you will offer broadband, or is it 700? What happened to the 100 your marketing department told me????

Just be careful that you don't get 701 people to sign up all at once:). They may realise that milking the local dialup market for the next decade is a very attractive proposition.

spongebob

The article was rule#1 Eircom spin which is designed to counteract the Dermot Ahern announcement last week, thats all. The minister was not given a chance to comment on the story by Jamie I'll bet.

Dave McRedmond spun it to Jamie Smyth , Jamie spun it to the public, unchecked, once he was allowed to attribute McRedmond as the source. Jamie did not ask for any concrete examples such as:

Kinnegad has 50 expressions of interest together with an active campaign promoting Broadband within the area. They were told 100 expressions would do by Eircom themselves.

What are you telling the people of Kinnegad then Dave ?

If 200 is the trigger level then why did your staff lie to the people in Kinnegad.

WHEN WILL KINNEGAD get its upgrade ?

A stinking letter to the Editor about Jamie and his 'Journalism' is in order

M

Mr_Man

A classic move by Eircom which could have come straight from the Microsoft marketing playbook. By announcing this 'extended' rollout that have created fear uncertainty and doubt in a number of quarters.

In Government, there will be those asking is it really necessary to spend Euro 140m when those nice Eircom people are going to do the job anyway.

In the wireless sector there will be uncertainty about business plans, especially for the new licencees now that Eircom appear to be rolling out to areas not previously considered 'economic'.

In the consumers mind there will be questions about waiting to get a DSL based product from Eircom rather than having to climb up on to the roof to get an antenna mounted.

One interesting point from the article which underpins the last point above is that Eircom note that 50,000 people have signed up for flat rate, it is not clear however from the article if they are claiming this number or if it is the total for the country. If the former then we really are in a lot more trouble than I had hoped as it indicates how little most people are aware of the choice on offer if so many go for the worst package, from the worst company.

It should not be too long before we hear from Mr Scanlon again saying that the Govt should give money to Eircom, to save jobs and not duplicate what Eircom have in place. This will then be followed by a whispering campaign directed against Dermot, Comreg and the Department.

M.

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by raster
On a serious note can you still get those, I know some solicitors with a telex number still on their headed paper

AFAIK If you send something by telex it's a legal document. I'm not too sure if Fax and email are binding in the same way.

MadKevo

There's no Telex service left in Ireland. Believe it or not, it's been outsourced to Switzerland, and you get an email (or other electronic data transfer, not too sure about the nitty gritty details) with your telex, and v.v. to send a telex...

raster

Originally posted by MadKevo
...v.v. to send a telex...

What is v.v?

MadKevo

Sorry,
v.v. = vice versa

dahamsta

Originally posted by Muck
Dave McRedmond spun it to Jamie Smyth , Jamie spun it to the public, unchecked, once he was allowed to attribute McRedmond as the source. Jamie did not ask for any concrete examples

Hardly the first time Muck, are you surprised?

adam

wexfordman

Telex was still big gusiness in the UK about 7-8 yrs ago. I used to work in a Telex exchange in Brentford for C&W. Surprised Eircom got rid of it (or is it they hav'nt caught up yet ? ).


Mybe they are afraid to provide a service where they have to gaurantee certain speeds (50 bauds!!!)

Jorinn

Originally posted by shinzon
I wonder what will happen when people want 1mb or 2mb connections or is eircom so far behind that they dont know these connections exist and are quite happy to provide 512K connections forever

Um, I don't know about he rest of you bu ti want 2mb now, or at least burstable to 2mb.

In fact I'd settle for thwe moment for half what the japanese are getting*.












* So 14mb will do me just fine.

Archytas

Or Half of what the koreans get would be nice too....

cgarvey

More grave digging .. closing.