FG unveils broadband access plan

bealtine

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0129/breaking53.htm

FG unveils broadband access plan

Ciara O'Brien

Fine Gael has published its plans to help improve broadband access in Ireland.

Under its 10-point plan, Fine Gael wants the Government to review and upgrade the infrastructure to higher-speed fibre-optic cable and to pass legislation to ensure that ducting, the underground pipes for fibre-optic cables, is installed in all new housing and apartment developments.

The party is also seeking a review of the National Broadband Scheme to ensure that broadband access in remote areas of the country is high bandwidth.

It is also calling on the Government to give priority to the connection of schools and educational institutions to Next Generation Access (NGA). NGA, which covers broadband speeds of more than 10Mb per second, has sufficient bandwidth to carry data, images, voice and TV or video.

Fine Gael communications spokesman Simon Coveney said: "For any country competing in the global economy, next-generation broadband access is essential, but for Ireland, shortcomings in this area are a serious impediment to our plans to create an economy based on technology, innovation, research and development."

In Ireland, only 15.4 per cent of the population have broadband, with speed lagging at 3Mb per second. The average in the OECD area is 13.7Mb per second, with only Mexico and Turkey coming in behind Ireland.
© 2008 ireland.com

bealtine

http://www.finegael.ie/news/index.cfm/type/details/nkey/33301/pkey/653


FG launches ambitious plan to improve availability of high speed internet - Coveney

Ireland still lagging behind OECD countries on broadband access

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, launching a new FG policy on broadband said the plan will tackle high prices, poor customer services and improve broadband availability and take-up levels that currently place us at the bottom of the international rankings.

Speaking at the launch, Deputy Kenny said "Information and knowledge are now at the centre of economic growth in developed economies. The ability to share and move ideas globally, rapidly and cost effectively is fundamental to competing and winning in the 'knowledge economy'. To succeed in such an environment, we need a first class telecommunications infrastructure".

Fine Gael's Communications Spokesman Simon Coveney TD, today launched an ambitious plan encouraging the Government to drive the delivery of next generation broadband across the country and in so doing improve Ireland's competitiveness.

"The ten point plan gives practical suggestions on how the Government can achieve the roll out of next generation broadband communications infrastructure delivering high speeds within as short a timeframe as possible.

"High-speed broadband is no longer a luxury - it is now a necessity for doing business, for modern education in school and as a telecommunications link at home. Government broadband policy has failed to deliver in terms of penetration and in particular in terms of bandwidth and download speed. Despite a steady increase in the number of people signing up to broadband in the last 12 months, Ireland is still a long way behind our competitors in terms of connectivity. In fact, Ireland is 33rd out of 35 OECD countries for average internet speeds, ahead of only Mexico and Turkey.

"According to the latest OECD figures, 15.4% of the Irish population subscribes to broadband, with speeds of little over 3 Mb per second, while the OECD average is 13.7 Mb per second. In Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland, over 30% have broadband access.

"Fine Gael's document 'Creating a Fibre Nation' mandates the Department of Communications to undertake a comprehensive audit of all ducting capable of accommodating fibreoptic cable, both in public and private ownership. Following this audit, we are calling on the Government to tender out to the private sector a ducting rollout programme that will facilitate and encourage the investment in fibreoptic cable that is required for next generation broadband access.

"What is particularly important is the need to upgrade the existing copper wire infrastructure to fibreoptic cable.

"Essentially what the State needs to do is invest in expensive ducting infrastructure as well as coordinating existing infrastructure to create a broadband fibre network with adequate backhaul in the ownership of the private and public sector.

"There is also an urgent need for legislation to be passed to require ducting for broadband to be installed in all new housing and apartment developments as well as being part of all new road-building.

"Fine Gael also calls on the Government to review and upgrade its National Broadband Scheme to provide for high-speed internet access to rural areas of the country. Otherwise Government policy will be adding to an already existing urban-rural divide.

"For any country competing in the global economy, next generation broadband access is essential, but for Ireland, shortcomings in this area are a serious impediment to our plans to create an economy based on technology, innovation, research and development".

Ends

Note: Policy document, 'Creating a Fibre Nation' is available online at the following link:http://www.finegael.ie//PubUploads/creating%20a%20fibre%20nation%20final%20web.pdf

cgarvey

Any light shining on the planning issues (which had an "urgent need" as far back as the last FG gov, but that's politics for ya) is a good thing, but no mention of carrier nuetral ducts or monopoly protection which has crippled broadband for the vast majority of new developments.

The failure to recognise that ComReg has been an institutional failure and has done nothing at all to help consumers/SMEs get broadband or competitive telecoms since their existence. Maybe disbanding them will be too ballsy a step for a politician to suggest, but call a space a space and identify the problems and maybe then we can go about fixing them.

bealtine

cgarvey wrote: »

Any light shining on the planning issues (which had an "urgent need" as far back as the last FG gov, but that's politics for ya) is a good thing, but no mention of carrier nuetral ducts or monopoly protection which has crippled broadband for the vast majority of new developments.

FG haven't been in power since TE were privatised. Before the privitisation there wasn't much talk about carrier neutral ducting etc.
The talk back then was just about getting a phoneline and the delay involved.
Sometimes the delays were in the region of months.

At least somebody (else) has stuck their head above the parapet and called the broadband situation like it is, a disaster area.

cgarvey wrote: »

The failure to recognise that ComReg has been an institutional failure

Technically every country is legally obliged to have an independent regulator, therefore (sadly) Comreg cannot be abolished.
Their only function is to shield successive ministers from awkward questions (both from the EU and consumers) and to be a convenient institution to blame when things "go wrong".
They can however be reformed and the source of the malaise that has eaten away at Comreg can be addressed.
(Look a flock of pigs)

Here are the 10 points:

What other main points are needed?

Government actions needed:

1. Mandate the Department of Communications to undertake a comprehensive
audit of all ducting under both public and private ownership throughout the
country. Based on this audit, a detailed plan of where ducting, especially
between the exchange and the cabinet but also at backhaul level, is most
needed.
2. Enter negotiations with all private owners of ducting for the purposes of
securing open access to infrastructure, in an effort to try to create a web of
open-access ducting throughout the country.
3. Tender for private sector interest in managing all State-owned ducting and
coordinate with the regulator on the opening of access to privately-owned
ducting. The contract will also provide for the management of roll-out of new
ducting where appropriate. Funding for this will be provided from the ICT
budget within the NDP.
4. The State should support high-speed wireless connectivity to areas too remote to justify ducting and fibre connections.
5. Revise the terms of the contracts for provision of broadband to extremely
remote areas under the National Broadband Scheme, to require that this
connectivity be of a high-bandwidth.
6. Pass legislation to require ducting to be installed to the home in all new
housing and apartment developments under new building standards
regulations.
7. Pass legislation to require ducting to be laid as part of all new road
developments and maintenance.
8. Ensure that all infrastructure relating to roll-out of next generation access at all parts of the network – be subject to fast-track planning rules.
9. Invite tenders for provision of wholesale high-bandwidth access to state bodies throughout the country, such as schools, third-level institutions, hospitals and departmental buildings.
10. The connection of Next Generation Access to all schools and educational
institutions needs immediate priority in government planning.