Community broadband: get yourself connected

Eurorunner

FROM TODAYS IRISH EXAMINER


David Storey visits a broadband co-op which utilizes wireless technology to bring high speed internet into isolated rural homes


There’s no reason why rural communities should not have the same standards of services as those who live in Dublin. So says Eamonn O’Cuiv, the Minister for Rural Development.
But those who live in rural Ireland know this is more of an aspiration than a reality. Whether it’s access to public transport or health care, or more mundane matters like getting your rubbish bin collected, rural life has its downside.
Some communities just accept that, if you live in the country, you can’t expect the same standard of services as city dwellers. Others continually harass politicians and state bodies to do a better job for them. A few decide to do something themselves to improve their circumstances.
The trigger for action by the residents of Knockmore in Co. Mayo was being told by Eircom that their village was unlikely to ever have broadband communication.
Eircom’s advertisements for high speed internet access were not intended for Knockmore – situated a few miles east of Lough Conn – or many other outlying areas of rural Ireland. With the laying out of broadband, a new category of “haves and have-nots” is set to be created in Irish society.
“The quality of the 1970’s phone lines around here just doesn’t lend itself to broadband”, says Paul Cunnane, the co-ordinator of Knockmore Community Network Society. A lot of houses round here are sharing phone lines. Those lines can’t handle broadband”.
Given that Eircom were unlikely to run a cable all the way from Ballina to supply broadband to Knockmore, Cunnane began to investigate other possibilities. He discovered that wireless technology was the answer.
Connecting to the internet “through the air” doesn’t depend on the state of the local cable network. Now, more than 20 residents have tiny aerials on their roofs, and a small black box beside their computer, and they will soon be connected to broadband from Ballina.

“You need line of sight for this type of connection to work”, explains Cunnane. “Everyone’s aerial needs to be able to ‘see’ another aerial. The connection goes from one aerial to another, so that you create a chain that ultimately leads to your source of broadband”.
“Above Knockmore, there’s a man living on a high hill that has a view of Ballina. All our aerials eventually lead to his. His aerial connects to one in Ballina. That’s how we can all have broadband. It’s called mesh technology”.
For those like Cunnane who work from home, high speed internet access is essential.
“Before I came to live here, I worked in Dublin where I was used to being able to access a good internet connection whenever I needed it”, he says. “But, when I came down here, connecting became a major chore”.
According to Cunnane, computer technology is increasingly being geared to broadband. Even those who only use a computer as a leisure activity will find themselves left behind without access to broadband.
“A lot of people in our group just want the internet for normal usage such as for their children to do school projects”, he says. “But we also have people who work at home as graphic designers or as typesetters, for example. They need to be able to move large files to and fro”.
Perhaps the case of one member of the initiative highlights the need for a broadband connection more than any other. “He works at home as a graphic designer, and does a lot of work for a company in Castlebar”, says Cunnane. “His phone connection is so bad that he found it was quicker to drive all the way into Castlebar to deliver his work, than to send it over his slow internet connection. As a result, he often has to go into Castlebar several times in one day.”
“There are farmers in the group too. Although it isn’t necessarily for farming activities that they want broadband. They just want access to the internet like everyone else.”
According to Cunnane, access to broadband would attract more people to live and work in the country.
“There’s a man who regularly comes down from Dublin for the weekends, who wanted to live here full-time, but couldn’t without broadband”, he says.
A number of Knockmore people work at home for part of the working week. But they have to go into work when they need the internet. “There are people who already work at home to an extent, but who are restricted by what they can do without easy internet access”, says Cunnane. “With broadband, they might be able to take their work home full-time. Broadband is also vital for third level students who come home at weekends or during university holidays. To work at home, they need the same standard of internet access as they have at university”.
For some isolated rural dwellers, broadband may not be top of their list when it comes to improving local services. However, Cunnane argues that the internet is becoming the most important global utility. He says it’s the ultimate source of reference for information for educational and business purposes and for communication. “Only when you have broadband available to you and you begin to understand just how useful a resource it is. Some people will tell you they don’t need the internet. But they haven’t seen it working to its full potential. Other people think the internet is no good because it’s slow, but that’s because they haven’t got broadband”.
Knockmore Community Network Society is set up like the original farmers’ co-ops or group water schemes. Co-op members buy shares of €150, and then pay €35 a month to cover the cost of the aerial, the little black box that connects it to their home computer, and maintenance of the service. On average, the equipment necessary to get connected and its installation costs around €600. The monthly payment partly covers the initial capital cost. The co-op is non-profit making, and any surplus will be put back into the network.
“Cost is a major advantage of broadband”, says Cunnane.
It’s always on, you don’t have to worry about how much time you spend online and how much it’s costing you. Plus, it’s a separate line, so your phone line isn’t tied up”.
According to Cunnane, having access to broadband is necessary for the economic development of any rural community. If it’s not there, then anyone who needs it or has a use for it is immediately disadvantaged”, says Cunnane. “It’s not necessarily going to draw huge amounts of business. It’s just that it creates a more level playing field, and it means that we in Knockmore have a facility that people might need in order to be able to run a business. It also provides an opportunity for local businesses to use the internet in ways they didn’t consider before, because it just wasn’t feasible”.

Individuals around the country use wireless technology, but this is the first time a community has come together as a group to get themselves online. Given that there are many other rural communities that won’t be able to get broadband, the Knockmore society looks like being the first of many such co-ops. Cunnane advises rural communities in the same situation to get together, establish that there is a level of demand, and see what local expertise is available.
Some rural communities waited in vain for years for decent roads, clean water supplies or local transport. Now, communities will be left waiting for broadband. But in the scramble for the attention of the powers that be, very little seems to come to those communities that sit around and politely wait.
Paul Cunnane’s advice to rural communities has a wider application. “Rather than wait for someone else to bring it to you, you should just get up and get it yourself,” he says.

Moon Indigo

I just have to get this off my chest! I'm currently using a meteor dongle and its okay in the town but useless where I am. I'm in rural Kildare and although I think its possible to get it half a mile down the road I have half the speed of DIAL UP!. Its pathetic in this day and age that all of this 99.9% of the population is covered rubbish is spouted. If I want to get a decent connection I have to go into the nearest town which is 13 miles away of get a satelite and hope it works and that costs 200 euro to get in and up to 40 euro a month. I had better connection over ten years ago in Wexford. As computers rapidly move on this problem surely has to change. Does anyone have this problem or even better a solution? I don't want anything to wonderfull but something as simple as youtube or downloading music is impossible. :mad:

watty

New Universal Broadband Network is only solution.

croo

Plus, it’s a separate line, so your phone line isn’t tied up

And I bet all those who eircom refused to provide with basic broadband are still paying eircom full price for their crappy, decrepit, shared telephone line.

Personally I dropped eircom as soon as they refused to offer me broadband but insisted on the full price for line rental. It has probably cost me more in mobile calls but I could not stomach funding such a company with 1 cent more than I had too. While Comreg has a lot to answer for allowing it, eircom has left us back in the 20th centry while the rest of the world races ahead... the sooner they're gone down the drain the better in my book and anything I can do to hasten that I will.

rob808

watty wrote: »

New Universal Broadband Network is only solution.

I agree problem is cost i know new goverment want 90% FTTH and FTT Curb and 10% fixed wireless or mobile or satelite it just the matter of the other isp working together is the biggest problem facing the new goverment and there lack of will to invest and im not talking about eircom upc are the only company investing at the moment and imagine with there wiimax joke of a thing HAHA.:D

watty

Fixed Wireless can be Real 20Mbps Broadband costing less than same traffic on Mobile or Satellite.

Mobile or Satellite can't do Broadband.

Imagine's WiMax is a Mobile system pretending to be Fixed Wireless.

cgarvey

Nothing new here. Certainly nothing worth dragging up a 2004 thread for.