UPC Warn Irish Government

taung

UPC honcho, Mark Coan, is warning the Irish Government about providing a DTT network in Ireland;

Sunday Business Post

He want's a 'level playing field' which doesn't 'compromise' UPCs investment in their cable networks in Ireland.

I guess this, in effect, means hand over the DTT network to us, for a nominal fee and we will run (DTT into the ground) for you!!!:D

Seriously, does anyone know how the governments in other, already available, countries organised/managed their DTT networks? Did they sell of the DTT network to the highest bidder?

Fingleberries

When they say "UPC's investment", I'm sure he means the cost of buying the company from NTL who bought it from Cablelink.

Have they invested anything else into the cable network since?

Probably could be translated as "Oi, we have a monopoly here. If you stop trying to compete and give the market to us, we'll just forget this whole thing happened".

Cheek :rolleyes:

rlogue

If UPC create an attractive, reasonably priced Digital TV product that is reliable and universally available then they have nothing to worry about.

flogen

not sure how you get a level playing field in this area - but that's probably the point of asking for one.

Given that UPC are formerly Cablelink, why haven't they been compelled to rent their cable to competition, like eircom are supposed to?

I think Irish DTT would be grand if it offers the same amount of programming as the NTL analogue TV package - sure by the time it comes around most of UPC's customers will have upgraded anyway.

taung

The Irish DTT may well be "grand" but, I'm fairly sure there must be some EU regulations regarding state funding of commercially driven broadcast networks?

flogen

taung wrote:

The Irish DTT may well be "grand" but, I'm fairly sure there must be some EU regulations regarding state funding of commercially driven broadcast networks?

What do you mean?

taung

I mean that if the government have plans to allow use the DTT network for pay-per-view or subscription TV services (commercial use) then they have to be careful how they provide for this, as UPC may have a valid case for anti-competitive behaviour by the Government, under EU law.

flogen

taung wrote:

I mean that if the government have plans to allow use the DTT network for pay-per-view or subscription TV services (commercial use) then they have to be careful how they provide for this, as UPC may have a valid case for anti-competitive behaviour by the Government, under EU law.

My understanding is that the multiplexes will be tendered and (probably) bought by commercial companies - RTÉ operate the first one, and that's the one currently being used in the DTT trial.

The people bidding for the other muxes will be the ones setting them up and running them, so it won't be the Government's service on which PPV channels are likely to be shown.

How have Freeview avoided this issue with Virgin?

taung

There is some very interesting reading on the history of the UK's DTT system here;

Wikipedia

If these developments are anything to go by then the Irish government could give existing terrestrial broadcasters (RTE, TG4, TV3, TodayFM, Newstalk etc.);


- sufficient capacity on DTT to replicate their existing services for free
(annual maintainance charge, perhaps)

- option to purchase additional capacity for enhanced broadcasting of
existing services (HDTV, AC-3)

- clawback clause to force hand-back of spare capacity to government when more efficient compression technologies arrive

And, for anyone else that is interested i.e. open tender/competition (including UPC) the Irish government could simply auction off the remaining capacity.

UPC could not have any cause for complaint then.

L1011

WAA WAA WAA OUR SHODDY NETWORK (THAT THE STATE BUILT) CAN'T TAKE COMPETITION! WAA WAA WAA!

Can't really read it any other way. Sorry boys, you got shafted on the worst cablenets in Europe, now either fix them or go off back to Holland.

lucernarian

I fully agree MYOB.

They have some cheek to say what our govt should or shouldn't do in case it steps on UPC's toes. If the DTT service is a replication of analogue cable, then it should be fully supported by all the main players. UPC should be fully aware that analogue cable is an industry that's had its time. And DTT cannot compete with digital cable in terms of channel choice, whatever can be said for UPC's digital picture quality.

UPC will hopefully be shown its rightful place by whatever administration's in govt from June onwards. If TV3 could fund their own network and transmission costs, it shouldn't be hard to get commercial interests bidding for a multiplex on the main transmitters at least. At the very least, other commercial operators should be able to compete with UPC monopoly analogue cable.

There seems to be no issues with public financing for DTT, given what's happening in the UK when even tiny relays only installed to stop ghosting are being converted to DVB-T. Why would anyone complain if the govt can sell off lots of spectrum??

Does Ireland have a specific frequency allocation for DTT broadcasts and can they change this at all if it's been decided? Looking at http://www.irish-tv.com/digital.asp the allocations are well spread from CH 22 to 68.

rogue-entity

Hmm.

Dear UPC Execs,
You are not entitled to government-protected monopoly status on digital television or broadband. The people of Ireland deserve a digital television system, and the majority of the channels on your analogue package free of charge.

Screw you UPC. If the UK can have a digital television service, then why can't we. I am of course saying that RTE should not be allowed to directly sell commercial services on the DTT network, but should not be prevented by UPC from allowing other companies from offering Pay Channels on the DTT network, if we ever get one.

Sponge Bob

To_be_confirmed wrote:

If TV3 could fund their own network and transmission costs, it shouldn't be hard to get commercial interests bidding for a multiplex on the main transmitters at least.

TV3 cherry picked 70% of the state and refused to 'fund their network' to extend their coverage to the other 30%. For that reason they should lose their spectrum entitlement right now and another DTT mux should be fitted in there instead.

rlogue

Indeed. TV3 is in fact a 'quasi-national' network - and as such should be only given DTT space to match its analogue coverage.

Mossy Monk

Too right. TV3's national coverage is a joke.

taung

If TV3 have refused to provide coverage of their station on the analogue terrestrial network according to the conditions of their broadcast licence then this is an issue for BCI not the new DTT network.

Sponge Bob

Neverthess TV3 are squatting enough spectrum for an extra DTT mux in much of the country . Use it or lose it sez this Sponge .

lucernarian

While ye are right, my point has nothing to do with that. It was saying that it's quite possible for a commercial operator to set up their own mux without needing govt. money, at least on the main transmitters.