Green Party Manifesto on Communications

damien

Short but sweet enough. Another party that actually gets what is wrong.

• carry out a feasibility study into the State re-taking control of Eircom, divesting any commercial operation, and maintaining the fixed-line network as an open access infrastructure to all operators;
  
  
• set the mobile phone operators, cable companies and Eircom into direct competition to get cheaper, faster and more integrated broadband services;
  
  
• review the Government’s rollout of metropolitan area networks to resolve the issues of the delivery of ‘back-haul’ connections and the ‘last mile’ connection to the consumer;
  
  
• consolidate post offices into local community internet/broadband facilities;
  
  
• introduce a proper policing and monitoring system for the operation of mobile phone masts;
  
  
• establish a new unified broadcasting regulator and the similar reconstitution of the RTE Authority to ensure its future independence;
  
  
• develop an all-island digital ‘free to air’ broadcasting service carrying RTE 1 & 2, TG4, TV3 and the Northern Ireland BBC/ITV public service main channels.
  

lucernarian

Introducing a policing and monitoring system for mobile phone masts seems a bit disingenuous when they encourage them to compete against eircon and UPC. Proper broadband 3G services need masts. It's as simple as that. Many urban areas have ****e coverage because of that 500 metre away from schools restriction. That should be lowered.

Anyway, I like all their ideas except for the fesability study about the state taking over eircon. That will not help long-term alternative forms of accessing the internet and will ensure that people will be dependent on the one company for their communications needs. Backhaul provision is key though, and is the issue that will let regionalised operators (for fibre-in-developments, small-town cable, and wireless), along with the LLU players, to compete effectively with eircom.

Overall it's quite welcome. Who is the green party spokesperson on comms?

rahtkennades

To_be_confirmed wrote:

Overall it's quite welcome. Who is the green party spokesperson on comms?

Surely it's Eamonn Ryan. He seems to be their spokesman for everything (small party!);)

oscarBravo

To_be_confirmed wrote:

Introducing a policing and monitoring system for mobile phone masts seems a bit disingenuous when they encourage them to compete against eircon and UPC. Proper broadband 3G services need masts. It's as simple as that. Many urban areas have ****e coverage because of that 500 metre away from schools restriction. That should be lowered.

It should be eliminated, it's a stupid and hysterical rule.

watty

In fact there might be less signal with a mast mounted on a School roof than 500m away. The aerials have quite narrow vertical radiation pattern to reduce TX power and enhance reception range.

If anything is dangerous, it is more likely the phone every school kid has than the mast. 10,000 times the power density due to proximity.

Cars drivers are thousands if not millions of times more dangerous. Not one case of proven death worldwide from a phone. Compare risk of crossing road, drinking Galway water, or school bus crashing.