Smart Broadband back in business

MOH

I think this warrants a post on Consumer Issues, since ComReg appear to have no clue what the situation is, making no distinction between voice-only customers and those with broadband, and are still telling people to switch. And Eircom have Smart grave dug and have already started the funeral service.

According to an official announcement by Smart here, restoration of all services to broadband customers who had experienced losses began today. This seems to ber true - my phone line was still rejecting incoming calls at 5pm, but as of two hours ago its working again.

Smart "apologise for the inconvenience" but unlike the DART are actually doing something about it - all lines that will support it have been upgraded by 3Mbps, effective "for the remainder of 2006". (I've checked, and my formerly
3Mb connection is now registering 6.05 on irishisptest). Upload speed has also increased accordingly.

It's not clear whether this announcement about service restoration also applies to voice only customers, but others in the linked thread have asked for clarification.

So if you haven't done so already, don't ditch Smart broadband just yet. (If you have, there's still a 5-day cooling off period with Eircom). Even though Eircom are piling on the pressure, and Comreg seem to be completely clueless about the broadband side of things, reports of Smart's death may be greatly exaggerated.

I don't know what the situation is for voice only customers, but again I'd give it a day or so before switching back to the dark side.

Finally, I've no affiliation with Smart, beyond being a happy customer for the last couple of years. I'm just digusted with the way Eircom and Comreg have handled the issue, and if Smart are getting back on their feet I think the news needs to be spread before Eircom's scare tactics do any more damage.

eth0_

MOH wrote:

I'm just digusted with the way Eircom and Comreg have handled the issue, and if Smart are getting back on their feet I think the news needs to be spread before Eircom's scare tactics do any more damage.

Eircom haven't been paid by Smart for MONTHS! Smart owe them 4 _million_ euro's! I think they're within their rights to withdraw the service, although from what i've read, Eircom haven't done a good job of this (some people unable to receive calls or dial 999).

Smart have been withholding their dire financial situation from their shareholders (they have literally no money!) and most importantly their customers, and offering a speed increase is just their way of sucking up to their remaining customer base. Let's see what happens when they can't pay for their backhaul and bandwidth charges!

Dundalk Daily

Smart owe Eircom the dosh, Smart customers dont owe Eircom the dosh. In my opinion I think it is somewhat unfair that the Smart subscribers are the ones who suffer.

Guy:Incognito

Dundalk Daily wrote:

Smart owe Eircom the dosh, Smart customers dont owe Eircom the dosh. In my opinion I think it is somewhat unfair that the Smart subscribers are the ones who suffer.

So eircom should give them free use of their phoens in the hope that smart pay them? If you run up a bill and dont pay, smart will cut you off, eircom just cut smart off for not paying their bill, what else can they do?

Savman

if any of the rest of us ran up a €4m bill and left it upaid we'd know all about it. Don't see why Smart should get away with unpaid debts. They just played right into eircom's hands so I've not much sympathy...

Xterminator

Except anyone who actually followed it , would know the Times reported Smart only owed just under €500,000.

There was a figure in dispute, and another sum of moeny due that week, buit at the time of disconnection, 40,000 people were left without access to 999 services, among others, for the sum of €500,000.

That means to me Eircom reckon the sum of 12.5 euro per person. justified endangering their lives by withdrawing the access to emergency services, without due notice to the people!

X

MOH

I'm talking about the way ComReg and Eircom have behave *since* the disconnection. There are numerous reports of aggressive Eircom agents doorstopping people and telling them they have to go back to Smart - given that only Smart customers seem to be targetted, and that no other company is doing this, it could be seen as Eircom using their inside knowledge to their competitive advantage. Given that the true figure owed looks to be a lot less than the 4million originally reported, it might appear the Eircom had a deliberate policy to win back Smart customers by 'nuking' Smart by cutting offall lines with no warning, and had any army of salesmaen ready to move in during the resulting confusion.

ComReg have been slow to give any clear information for broadband users, some people have reported actually being told by ComReg to switch back to Eircom. One person reported last night that even after Smart restored all services to broadband customers, they were told by ComReg to change providers, by someone who seemed ignorant of any difference between voice only and broadband customers. They've been very slow to give any announcememnt of restoration of broadband services.

Anyway, the whole point of my original mail was to highlight to other consumers the fact that Smart are not dead yet, so don't panic. Ignore the last paragraph of my first post then.

White Van Man

That's great news.

I don't know why some people have such a hard-on for bashing Smart.

Are they eircom customers who can't get broadband from Smart, or just people who like having something to moan about?

I'd prefer to have 6 meg broadband with an uncertain future to eircom's overpriced 1 meg service anyhow.

ircoha

End for Smart as Murtagh takes over

October 06, 2006 19:54
The board of troubled telecoms group Smart is to sell off all of its businesses and assets for €1 to a private company controlled by its largest shareholders Brendan Murtagh.

A statement said the deal would allow Smart to provide a full service to its 160 corporate and 17,000 residential broadband customers 'effective immediately'.

Eircom began cutting off these customers earlier this week, having disconnected 40,000 of Smart's fixed-line customers, saying it was owed €4m by the company.


Mr Murtagh's company, BidCo, will also take on all of Smart's debts, estimated to amount to nearly €40m. Smart will be given a 10% stake in BidCo as part of the deal.

The deal is subject to approval of shareholders at an EGM. BidCo has received undertaking from shareholders representing 42% of Smart to back the agreement. BidCo will also provide funds to keep Smart going until the shareholder meeting.

Smart's acting chief executive Ciaran Casey said this was 'a very disappointing outcome' for shareholders, but was the only option.

Last month, Smart cut 250 jobs after a strategic review. Mr Murtagh, who holds 20% of the company, also agreed to lend the company €2.4m to keep it going.

Services to Smart's 40,000 fixed-line customers were restored after ComReg and Eircom hammered out an interim agreement. For two weeks, Smart's fixed-line customers will not be able to ring mobile phones or make international calls but they will be able to make national and local calls. They will then have to make alternative arrangements. It's understood Friday's deal does not cover these customers.

MOH

ircoha wrote:

End for Smart as Murtagh takes over

October 06, 2006 19:54
The board of troubled telecoms group Smart is to sell off all of its businesses and assets for €1 to a private company controlled by its largest shareholders Brendan Murtagh.

A statement said the deal would allow Smart to provide a full service to its 160 corporate and 17,000 residential broadband customers 'effective immediately'.

Eircom began cutting off these customers earlier this week, having disconnected 40,000 of Smart's fixed-line customers, saying it was owed €4m by the company.


Mr Murtagh's company, BidCo, will also take on all of Smart's debts, estimated to amount to nearly €40m. Smart will be given a 10% stake in BidCo as part of the deal.

The deal is subject to approval of shareholders at an EGM. BidCo has received undertaking from shareholders representing 42% of Smart to back the agreement. BidCo will also provide funds to keep Smart going until the shareholder meeting.

Smart's acting chief executive Ciaran Casey said this was 'a very disappointing outcome' for shareholders, but was the only option.

Last month, Smart cut 250 jobs after a strategic review. Mr Murtagh, who holds 20% of the company, also agreed to lend the company €2.4m to keep it going.

Services to Smart's 40,000 fixed-line customers were restored after ComReg and Eircom hammered out an interim agreement. For two weeks, Smart's fixed-line customers will not be able to ring mobile phones or make international calls but they will be able to make national and local calls. They will then have to make alternative arrangements. It's understood Friday's deal does not cover these customers.

I'd love to know who's estimate this is, and on what basis

faceman

Why are Smart being made out to be so innocent? They didnt pay their bills and they didnt let their customers no in advance of any possible disruption to service!! Since when did Eircom register as a charity?

Heres a story to keep you going...
Once upon a time on a flood plain, people built their houses. Then a flood came and washed their houses away. They got pished off at God at the flood. But they rebuilt their houses not long after... on the flood plain. Guess what happened during the next rainy season?

anyone i know who was a smart customer is now being a SMARTER customer and switching provider.

Sam Johnston

The action eircom took (which should have been prevented by Comreg) was drastic, unnecessary and most importantly, dangerous. It shows a complete disregard for the Irish public that deserves condemnation rather than reward via transfers back to them or their resellers by Smart customers. Telstra (Australia's equivalent of eircom) have been under fire over the last few years for deaths related to inability to access the '000' emergency services number because of congestion and line faults and Comreg admitted in a recent post that access to emergency services numbers could not be guaranteed for Smart customers with broadband. One of our two services was disconnected and it appears that it was done physically at the exchange (there are now eircom messages talking about how to migrate back to them) - there is a real possiblity that an emergency services call in progress could be interrupted with disconnections on this scale and in my opinion they should have to answer for this complete disregard for their customers and the people who ultimately paid for the network they now have a monopoly over.

Sam Johnston

Incidentally there is a good WikiPedia article on Smart Telecom that is worth a read for those who want to know the history (including recent events).

Red Alert

Why should I bother paying my eircom bill to support Smart telecom and its customers who seem to be happy to freeload off my payments? Get over it, your service provider has basically gone bust, find a new one.

I'm not very happy with Eircom as a provider, however I get severely pissed off when people freeload.

White Van Man

Red Alert wrote:

Why should I bother paying my eircom bill to support Smart telecom and its customers who seem to be happy to freeload off my payments? Get over it, your service provider has basically gone bust, find a new one.

I'm not very happy with Eircom as a provider, however I get severely pissed off when people freeload.

How are you supporting Smart and it's customers when you pay your phone bill?

I didn't realise we were getting our €35 a month phone and BB subsidised by eircon users. Anyway if you are subsidising us, cheers! Having a 6 or 7mb service for €35 is great. What would you, as an eircon customer, pay for the same service? No doubt there would be a 40 gig cap on it even if you could avail of 7mb.

Sounds like sour grapes to me :eek:

Red Alert

Well i've a big problem when your company can't pay its bill, and i'm paying mine every month. Therefore in effect i am subsidising smart customer.

(I have broadband from IBB, voice and ISDN from Eircom, and will make a decision on moving both broadband and voice when i bother to get the ISDN line removed. I have no particular liking for Eircom at all.)

White Van Man

Ha ha. Your sanctimonious attitude makes me laugh. The thought of 40,000 rampant freeloaders must keep you awake at night, does it?

There can't be much wrong with Smart customers' money when eircon is bending over backwards to get said customers into the eircon fold by spreading spreading lies on the doorstep and through unsolicited winback calls. You must be fairly gullible if you think that service was cut off last week just because some money was owed. :rolleyes:

ircoha

the story I heard last night at the Gonzaga dinner was that your man withheld the money so as eirscum would pull the plug and then he steps in with the €1 offer.

eth0_

ircoha wrote:

the story I heard last night at the Gonzaga dinner was that your man withheld the money so as eirscum would pull the plug and then he steps in with the €1 offer.

I very much doubt that. The bad publicity Smart have received over this will put off a huge amount of potential customers andi 'm sure it's caused a lot of Smart customers to move to another provider.

They had called the liquidators in, sounds like this was a deal made with them.

Personally, I wouldn't use Smart again. They're a cool company but their business model is apparently totally flawed.

bomb_thrower

Like yer man said above, cutting off 999 services to Smart customers w/o any notice is pretty reckless, even if each customer 'owed eircom' €30. Eircom have been dragging Smart through the courts for years now, desperately trying to hold on to their precious monopoly and hindering Smart at every turn.

The better prices and even the principle of destroying Eircom's monopoly and having a free, competitive telecoms market made me switch to Smart a couple years ago. Unfortunately I think the bog Irish mentality seems happy to have these sort of monopolies existing because its nice and safe i.e. lets not rock the boat. Someone I knew used to work in telesales (poor girl!) at Smart and she could not get over the amount of Eircom customers who didn't want to switch purely because they thought 'Eircom was owned by the govt and I'd prefer to support Irish'!!! Battling this idiotic mentality has been good for the country and good for the consumers. We were on the right track towards having a more competitive market, even if eircom still do have 80% odd of the market. I just hope the current 'crisis' doesnt derail the whole thing so that we have one huge Eircom charging exhorbitant prices + a few tiny, almost token, operators working on the fringes

Sonnenblumen

bomb_thrower wrote:

Like yer man said above, cutting off 999 services to Smart customers w/o any notice is pretty reckless, even if each customer 'owed eircom' €30. Eircom have been dragging Smart through the courts for years now, desperately trying to hold on to their precious monopoly and hindering Smart at every turn.

The better prices and even the principle of destroying Eircom's monopoly and having a free, competitive telecoms market made me switch to Smart a couple years ago. Unfortunately I think the bog Irish mentality seems happy to have these sort of monopolies existing because its nice and safe i.e. lets not rock the boat. Someone I knew used to work in telesales (poor girl!) at Smart and she could not get over the amount of Eircom customers who didn't want to switch purely because they thought 'Eircom was owned by the govt and I'd prefer to support Irish'!!! Battling this idiotic mentality has been good for the country and good for the consumers. We were on the right track towards having a more competitive market, even if eircom still do have 80% odd of the market. I just hope the current 'crisis' doesnt derail the whole thing so that we have one huge Eircom charging exhorbitant prices + a few tiny, almost token, operators working on the fringes

OK Bomb Thrower how about organising a collection for all those wet behind the ears aspiring telcos that couldn't even promote a bog standard service like voice calls and at cheaper rates than the incumbent?

Don't be too hastey, because it seems to me most of these new entrants are light the internet cafes, selling by the seat of their pants. OK so long as you get the volumes, few ever do and whose fault is that??

Not an Eircom fan but neither am I ready to be a naieve token customer for poorly managed business models.

bomb_thrower

Sorry, sonn, afraid little old PAYE employee here won't be able to raise the €40 mill. needed to bail out Smart but how about the lawmakers and regulators levelling the playing field a bit more so that Eircom cant just keep delaying and hindering. They've already done a fair bit in regards to deregulation but it's got to be improved. Comreg's flip-flopping and seeming cluelessness over this latest problem is more frustrating than Eircom's dodgy activities.

bomb_thrower

oops double posted