Eircom give 12 months free broadband???

eth0_

Have ENN got this wrong?

The Irish Independent reports on the discount broadband offers announced on Monday by EsatBT, UTV Internet and Eircom net. The major Internet Service Providers have all announced free trial periods for their broadband services, with Eircom net announcing late yesterday that its flat-rate customers could try broadband free for 12 months. . The cuts follow a wholesale price promotion just announced by Eircom. Read the story on Esat BT's broadband offer as reported by ElectricNews.net on Monday.

http://www.enn.ie/frontpage/news-9413197.html

Illkillya

Could have thought something like this was happening, with Esat offering 4 months free (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=162760)

Bard

Looks to me like the "struggle" is over and Ireland Offline's objectives are just about met.

spongebob

Not in Rural areas yet .... but I am really glad to see the Urbanised cousins are getting choices in terms of price and packages.

LLU at the EU average (apart from Ireland which grossly distorts it ) with a sensible price cap is the final piece of the jigsaw for the Urban areas.....and a tad of FTTH and way more of the NTL cable too, why not .

M

eth0_

Originally posted by Illkillya
Could have thought something like this was happening, with Esat offering 4 months free (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=162760)

I might have imagined UTV doing something like this but Eircom?. They're hardly the most competitive of telco's.

Well done Eircom (never thought i'd hear myself say that). Pity it's only for existing flat rate customers :-(

Now if they'd just stop bull****ting me about my line failing...

koneko

The struggle is over? For who exactly?
I live in Dublin and still can't get broadband of any description.

seamus

I too live in Dublin and can't get broadband

Anyway, it's not twelve months free broadband.
Existing Anytime customer can get 12 months of DSL for no more than they pay now. Essentially eircom are offering €29.99 per month DSL, for a year, to all their flat-rate customers.

Full details:
http://mmm.eircom.ie/press/PressRelease_Target.asp?id=364&y=2004

Regardless of the fact that it's not 12 months free, the press release looks like a big change in attitude from eircom sales to me.

spongebob

Originally posted by eth0_
I might have imagined UTV doing something like this but Eircom?. They're hardly the most competitive of telco's.

You will still PAY for your FRIACO exactly as before (say €29.99 a month) but the €120 discount incentive ex vat amounts to €12.10 a month incl VAT off the headline rate for BB over the year.

What did €42.20 a month get you last week with Eircom, the 4 down 1 up package I'd say and a few squids towards activation and modem thrown in .

M

xzodia

has this been confirmed as i havent seen anything on eircoms homepage to say it and to give better details of the offer

eth0_

Originally posted by xzodia
has this been confirmed as i havent seen anything on eircoms homepage to say it and to give better details of the offer

Read this thread again, a link was posted.

machalla

Top paragraph from the link that was posted

The Irish Times reports that the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is to be granted expanded powers that will let it pressure Eircom on the pricing it offers competitors to access its network. The paper says the powers were granted following a decision note from the European Commission, which states that the EC believes Eircom is frustrating competition in the market through "inappropriate and possibly excessive pricing." A ComReg decision is due next month on the wholesale pricing that Eircom offers rivals to access its network; the new powers granted to ComReg could make it easier for the regulator to fight any court challenge Eircom may make to the upcoming decision.

I may have missed this in recent times but is this going to make a blind bit of difference or is it just more wishful thinking? What exact powers does this grant Comreg?

Ripwave

Originally posted by eth0_
I might have imagined UTV doing something like this but Eircom?. They're hardly the most competitive of telco's.

Well done Eircom (never thought i'd hear myself say that). Pity it's only for existing flat rate customers :-(

Eircom wholesale are providing a €120 rebate to the resellers - they'll each use it in slightly different ways to encourage takeup.

Mr_Man

I assume that the Cap's are still in place for these 'free' offers. Hopefully all the ppl who take them up realise this and don't get stuck with a big bill at the end of 3 or 4 months.

M.

bk

Eircom really, really don't like FRIACO.

If you have only one phone line and FRIACO, then when you are on the net (a few hours a day) then you can't make or receive calls on your phone, thus lost revenue for Eircom.

Also FRAICO puts more pressure on the network then DSL.

So this is how they will kill off FRIACO (at least for people who can get DSL). Well that is fair enough, BB is much better then FRIACO.

As long as FRAICO is stilled offered to people who can't get DSL, I have no complaints.

viking

Dublin, Wednesday, 26th May, 2004
Dermot Ahern T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources today welcomed new broadband packages available on the market and said that consumers in Ireland now had probably the best start-up options anywhere in the Western world.

In welcoming the new broadband packages in the market through the fixed line network, which offer three months of free trials and start-up offers, the Minister said competition and lower prices were driving accelerated broadband take-up.

The Minister noted, “Last October the number of broadband customers had risen from 1,000 to 10,000. The increase since then has been nothing short of spectacular. There are now more than 44,000 broadband customers, and in addition there are over 60,000 flat rate internet customers.”

The Minister added: “If the consumer compares prices in the Irish market with prices in the rest of Europe one can see what dramatic changes for the better have occurred. Not alone are prices tumbling but there are more and more incentives, such as three months free trials, available. All these factors will certainly help in driving broadband penetration into even more homes and businesses.”

“We also have more choice, with increasingly cheaper packages across a range of technology such as wireless, satellite and fixed line. These positive developments are extremely good news for the Irish economy and place us in a healthy position to enjoy the prosperity that such connectivity undoubtedly brings.”

ends

Eurorunner

Looks to me like the "struggle" is over and Ireland Offline's objectives are just about met.

You've got to be kidding right:D ?

We are miles behind the rest of the western world. Many people in urban areas still can't get BB cos of the state of the lines. As regards rural areas, well they have to go fend for themselves as per usual.

There still is no regulation worth talking about so things havnt been sorted out. We have yet to see the wireless operators really going head to head with the telcos in any credible manner.

Don't mean to be the voice of doom but whilst promotions like this are to be welcomed, they are ONLY promotions - nothing more.

sceptre

Originally posted by Eurorunner
Don't mean to be the voice of doom but whilst promotions like this are to be welcomed, they are ONLY promotions - nothing more.

Aye, good promotions but let's not forget the probable relevance of this. Surprised no-one's linked the other thread already. Eircom will be heading their BB mention at the shareholders' meeting with this promotion.

Eurorunner

Well its a case of they're damned if they don't and they're damned if they do.


If they don't move along with the times, they're just going to have ever decreasing revenues. If they do decide to go for it, then they will soon lose out on the voice revenue as it won't take people long to go down the road of VOIP. Its all quite logical really - but the point has always been and remains: Eircom shouldnt be allowed to / or be in the position to dictate all of this to the irish consumer.

eircomtribunal

Originally posted by viking

Dublin, Wednesday, 26th May, 2004
Dermot Ahern T.D...."the best start-up options anywhere in the Western world...competition and lower prices...accelerated broadband take-up...increase since then has been nothing short of spectacular...dramatic changes for the better ... prices tumbling ...more and more incentives...more choice...increasingly cheaper packages...positive developments...extremely good news for the Irish economy...healthy position."

I hope Dermot will, despite all the funny over the top PR babble, keep his eyes firmly on the ball: Broadband access in Ireland is at a devastatingly low level. 60% of population? ComReg will need to be given all the power and ass-kicks to get things going.

P.

Cabaal

Originally posted by seamus
I too live in Dublin and can't get broadband

Anyway, it's not twelve months free broadband.
Existing Anytime customer can get 12 months of DSL for no more than they pay now. Essentially eircom are offering €29.99 per month DSL, for a year, to all their flat-rate customers.

So basically there finally offering a package at the same price as Esat & UTV, but I'm sure there still going to keep a 4GB cap on it!

Looks to me like the "struggle" is over and Ireland Offline's objectives are just about met.

I don't think so, caps are certainly still a issue and need to be dealt with as it really limits the use of DSL.

I do believe the price of DSL is fine as it is and has no need to go any lower but for a start we do need a provider that will ATLEAST cap there DSL at 30GB a month, thats 1GB a day and thats certainly usable imho

bk

Originally posted by Cabaal
So basically there finally offering a package at the same price as Esat & UTV

Not really:

Eircom €30 x 12 = €360
UTV €30 x 8 = €240
IOL (with phone) €33 x 8 = €264
IOL (without phone) €40 x 8 = €320

UTV and IOL are both offering 4 months free.

I don't think so, caps are certainly still a issue and need to be dealt with as it really limits the use of DSL.

I do believe the price of DSL is fine as it is and has no need to go any lower but for a start we do need a provider that will ATLEAST cap there DSL at 30GB a month, thats 1GB a day and thats certainly usable imho

Agreed, while we have now reached competitive prices, we still don't have a varied range of products. In a truly mature, competitive market you would have a range of different consumer products to suit different tastes:
256k, 512k, 1m, 1.5m services and a range of different caps, aimed at different user types, are all common in other countries.

Also there are still many people who just can't get bb.

Cabaal

Originally posted by bk
Agreed, while we have now reached competitive prices, we still don't have a varied range of products. In a truly mature, competitive market you would have a range of different consumer products to suit different tastes:
256k, 512k, 1m, 1.5m services and a range of different caps, aimed at different user types, are all common in other countries.

Also there are still many people who just can't get bb.

People still unable to get DSL is still certainly a issue, but atleast now a 512K service of some short is available to those in DSL enabled area's (even if it is handicapped)#
Its certainly a step in the right direction.

Maybe somebody should come out with a basic entry level package of 256K for €20 a month with a 8GB cap, sounds like a good deal and I believe most home users would go for it.
This is coming from personal experience dealing with users on DSL and 256k, 512k & 1MB products

(up the cap for 512K product also, maybe to 30GB)

Ripwave

Originally posted by bk
Not really:

Eircom €30 x 12 = €360
UTV €30 x 8 = €240
IOL (with phone) €33 x 8 = €264
IOL (without phone) €40 x 8 = €320

UTV and IOL are both offering 4 months free.

No, IOL and UTV are both providing a 3 month free trial. Your 12 month contract (with 1 month free) starts after you have completed the trial.

So effectively, you get 15 months of DSL for €30*11 = €330 with UTV, (effectively €22/month, plus €99 installation fee), or 15 months for €40*11 = €440 (effectively €29.33/month, plus €99 installation fee) with IOL.

bk

Originally posted by Ripwave
No, IOL and UTV are both providing a 3 month free trial. Your 12 month contract (with 1 month free) starts after you have completed the trial.

So effectively, you get 15 months of DSL for €30*11 = €330 with UTV, (effectively €22/month, plus €99 installation fee), or 15 months for €40*11 = €440 (effectively €29.33/month, plus €99 installation fee) with IOL.

Fair enough, however my point still stands that IOL and UTV are still cheaper then Eircom.