What options for my line?

rahtkennades

I live approx 3k from an exchange that is broadband 'enabled'. Unfortunately, our line is connected to another exchange that is not broadband 'enabled', through approx 7km of really bad copper.

The last connection on the 'enabled' exchange is approx 4 telephone poles away from our house.

Is there anything I can do to get my line swapped to the other exchange? The chances of the other exchange, and the 7km of copper between me and it, being upgraded are somewhat short of slim..

Anybody got any ideas??

1huge1

dig man dig

seriously though thats rare

kaizersoze

The normal response from Eircom on this is no. They say that the decision on what exchange you're connected to is down to the local engineer. If you know any of them you could have a chat and see if it cn be done locally without going through the normal channels.
You could also email phil.nolan@eircom.ie and see if he can sort something.
If all fails you could order a new line on the proviso that it comes from the enabled exchange and transfer your number onto the new line.

Avns1s

Also worth checking that the last subscriber "4 poles away" can actually get BB. I have come across a situation where the house is less than 3 km from the exchange but the cables go a roundabout way obviously exceeding the distance and therefore no BB.

Foxwood

Getting elected to Dail Eireann (especially as a memebr of the governing party) is one way to sort your problem out. The other is to do as kaizersoze suggests, and get to know one of your local engineers.

To sum up, "pull" is the only solution. There are no official processes for getting what you want done.

If the old exchange is full, or there aren't any lines available on whatever trunk feeds out to where you are, a new line might be fed from the newer exchange, but they won't run copper across 4 poles unless there's nothing available on the pole nearest to you.

netwhizkid

Get a subscription of Broadband 4 poles away and set up some sort of small wireless link and beam it over to your place. It might just work.

rahtkennades

Thanks all.
I guess Mr. Nolan is probably too busy watching his back from opportunistic younger execs looking to impress the new paymasters to be paying attention to my problems. Mind you, given that he hasn't paid attention to anybody elses problems for a long time......

RE the politics route, you'd think that having the minister for comms from around the corner might help. I guess it might, when he comes around looking for my vote next year ... "Oh, so that's what you look like in person...."

Actually, I wonder. Given that there is an election next year, and given that the state of broadband in rural areas is shocking, and given that the reality is that the government are going to have to pay to have the infrastructure upgraded (i understand B & B have been hinting in this direction too?), what's the chances of having a "Broadband for all" initiative sometime within the next year. Say perhaps in December, when Biffo stands up in the Dail to give away the early xmas presents?

Is there any kind of organised demand for this? Is there a protest march I can go on?!