eNET preferred bidder to run State's network

iwb

From todays Irish Times.

eNET preferred bidder to run State's network
Jamie Smyth, Technology Reporter



A consortium led by a Limerick-based property developer, Tiernan Properties, has been selected as preferred bidder for a contract to manage the State's €170 million telecoms network.

The Government is negotiating with the consortium to decide costs and detailed specifications for its proposed telecoms "management services entity".

This body will manage the State's new fibre optic networks, which are being built in 19 regional towns. It is expected the Government will also extend these networks to about 88 towns over the next few years.

The successful consortium is being led by Tiernan Properties' telecoms subsidiary, eNET. It also includes a spin-off from Eircom, called TE Services, and Swedish company Swedia.

The consortium beat off competition from Canadian telecoms firm Axia and Irish technology firm Data Electronics to become the preferred bidder.

The decision by the Government will be a major disappointment for Axia, which has spent considerable time and resources targeting the Irish market.

Tiernan Properties is a well-known property development firm, which has built a shopping centre in Limerick and other large projects.

TE Services builds telecoms infrastructure and maintains networks for Eircom and a number of other firms in the Republic and in Britain.

The firm, which spun off from Eircom in 1998, has expanded rapidly and has annual turnover in excess of €30 million.

Swedia is a spin-off from the incumbent telecoms firm in Sweden, Telia, which still owns 49 per cent of the company. The company manages several municipal telecoms networks in Sweden. Its Irish subsidiary employs about 60 employees.

The contract to manage the State's telecoms assets is believed to be worth several million euros over a 10-year period.

Provided that eNET can conclude the negotiations as a preferred bidder, the Government will announce the contract within the next two months.

dahamsta

The Government is negotiating with the consortium to decide costs and detailed specifications for its proposed telecoms "management services entity".

And there was me thinking that you sorted these things out before you accepted a tender. But sure o' course sure we have to do it de Oirish way, begorrah!

The successful consortium is being led by Tiernan Properties' telecoms subsidiary, eNET. It also includes a spin-off from Eircom, called TE Services

Ewww. Spin-off from Eircom. Ewww. Is this company still building and maintaining networks for Eircom? Isn't that, like, a conflict of interest, dude?

(Course, the idea of Eircom maintaining anything bar their fat bank accounts makes the mind boggle.)

adam

vinnyfitz

Who are this crowd?

1. www.enet.ie Web site don't resolve

2. Tiernan Properties - big hitters! You'll need lots of memory to download this content rich site - not!

3. [URL=http://www.teservices.ie/index.htm[/url]te services[/URL] - but don't use any fancer browser like Moz - we ain't able for that.

4. [URL=http://www.swedianet.se/default.asp?ItemID=15[/url]Swedia[/URL]

spongebob

<ahem>

I always did call it Telecom Eireann 2 :ninja: .....did I not :cool: :ninja:

M

BigEejit

In my mind there is no problem associating TES with TESticles ... another brown paper envelope job I'd say, (with a property developer involved and all) .... the only possible saving grace is Swedia I hope .... with any bit of luck they will stop the other two from going over the top (or doing nothing at all) and manage the project properly

dahamsta

€30m Contract Bribes. Tribunal at 2011.

thegills

Yikes,

Who is the source Jamie???

thegills

Moriarty

<miley> Well holy god </miley>

I'd wonder what they can offer that Axia cant.

thegills

the State's €170 million telecoms network

Where did this figure come from. €70M at my last count!!

I'd wonder what they can offer that Axia cant

One of the core activities will be repair and maintenance of the fibre networks. Very few operators better and more widespread than TE Services.
Tiernan has cash too and is not afraid to spend it. He will have already earmarked a unit somewhere for the NOC. (Limerick more than likely).
Axia also have very little presence in Ireland.
Swedia Networks Ireland are also very involved in some of the MAN projects on the construction side.

thegills

jbkenn

I'd wonder what they can offer that Axia cant

AQ

jbkenn

ganam

According to TE Services own web site, two of its board members - Herb Hribar and Gerry Duane - are listed as non-executive directors.

QUOTES FROM SITE:
'Herb Hribar is managing director of eircom's wholesale and network.'

'Gerry Ruane is a member of the National Executive Council of the Communications Workers Union which represents workers in the communications sector.'

http://www.teservices.ie/home_board.htm

Although TE Services is only one aspect of the eNet consortium, the potential for conflict of interest is too great to be pushed under the carpet.

spongebob

Originally posted by ganam
Although TE Services is only one aspect of the eNet consortium, the potential for conflict of interest is too great to be pushed under the carpet.

The Invitation to Tender from the Department excluded all current operators , its Here while the exclusion on page 2 bars (from tendering) licenced operators and associates/subsidiaries and parents.

" All Subsidiaries , Persons having a controlling interest in such entities and other associated companies "

In the proposed arrangement the Chief Executive of Eircom Wholesale will help decide on connections to the MSE , by whom, how much for and when they are wanted. He will not pass this back to Eircom Retail.....of course he won't. Nor will the CWU pass this information back through its member. I wonder how Tiernan were brought into this farrago, they normally do shopping centres and car parks but not civil works from what their website says.

The fallout for the Department of Communications will be considerable.

1. They can be sued by the "non preferred " bidders who wasted time and money while Eircom ( barred or so they thought) got the contract by proxy.

2. They can be sued by every other Licencee in the state who Thought they were barred from Bidding and therefore did not prepare a bid.

No wonder Ahern is making such an amount of noise about the Line Rental ....thereby masking his actions as he presides over handing over the states NEW Telecoms assets to Eircom.....for years to come. How come Jamie Smyth never noticed the conflict ...........should we send him a press release , he reads them you know. ?!

M

ganam

As far as I can figure out, neither eNet, Swedia or TE Services have licenses issued to them (from lists on Comreg site).

So it boils down to whether a TE Services non-executive board member, such as Hribar, is deemed as having "a controlling interest in such entities and other associated companies".

The other thing is that last week's Irish Times article announcing the awarding of the MSE to eNet has NOT been confirmed, though neither has it been denied.

You're right Muck, one legal case taken against the Dept on this issue could tie the MSE up in the courts for months, maybe a year. Remember Meteor?

As strategies go, discrediting the MSE seems to be already in progress.

spongebob

Originally posted by ganam

So it boils down to whether a TE Services non-executive board member, such as Hribar, is deemed as having "a controlling interest in such entities and other associated companies".

Here is a creepy comment on the TE Services website in the Client Recommendation section.Source TE Services Themselves
"eircom – “I fully understand and greatly appreciate the ‘behind the scenes' efforts involved in getting our work accomplished. Many thanks”

Even stranger is the candid admission on the website here of exactly who and what TE services are.

"The company was incorporated in July 1999 by management and employees of TES UK, a strategic business unit of the then Telecom Eireann. " Source

A Subsidiary of a licencee which is barred from tendering for the contract ......and is now the 'preferred' candidate by the back door .....or 'behind the scenes' as they promote themselves so eloquently. The EU commission loves these dodgy tenders, real bread and butter for Monti so it is.

As strategies go, discrediting the MSE seems to be already in progress.

Thats only Ripwave with a bee in his bonnet.
M

thegills

the awarding of the MSE to eNet has NOT been confirmed, though neither has it been denied.

If there is a conflict of interest than eNet shouldn't even be at the races.

Venom

Why am I not surprised by any of this

Xian

Originally posted by Muck
" All Subsidiaries , Persons having a controlling interest in such entities and other associated companies "

Lest we forget, this point was further clarified in the second round of questions where an unnamed telco queried the exclusion:

Existing (as of 15 August 2003) holders of Irish Telecommunications Licences or of a general authorisation (as applicable) and their parent companies, subsidiaries, persons having a significant or controlling interest in such entities and other associated companies are excluded from bidding

Even if they were to resign their positions the application for the tender should be null and void, no?

shinzon

Just as a side note to all of this, when are we actually going to see connections to this fibre optic network

shin

thegills

Smart Telecom already have a 'test' connection from the Cork MAN back to Dublin via the ESB network. It's only a matter of time before all the MAN's are filled with these OLO's.

thegills

Xian

Tensions rise on Eircom Deals
Sunday Business Post, 14th March 2004

"...The Sunday Business Post has also learned that TE Services Ltd (TESL), a company which is 35% owned by Eircom and generates almost all its revenues from the telecoms company, has been valued at €10 million after a bid approach."

ganam

TE Services might be sold? I wonder is it for sale or is there a buy-out underway?

Anyone have any more info on this?