Smart Broadband deal with ESB Fibre Network?

rc28

Yesterday it was announced:

"ESB puts the fibre in Smart’s diet
A new deal signed between Smart Telecom and ESB’s telecoms division (ESBT) will enable Smart to triple its broadband coverage by making extensive use of the nation’s Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs).

The three-year deal will see ESBT provide Smart Telecom with up to 10Gbps of capacity around Ireland across two national fibre rings spanning the entire country.

This new infrastructure, along with changes in the regulatory environment for LLU (local loop unbundling), will potentially allow Smart Telecom to target up to 1.5 million consumers with high-capacity broadband services, a threefold increase of its current target market.

Smart Telecom’s regulatory and development director, John Quinn, explained the company will use this capacity to provide for the rollout of high-capacity business and residential services, including IPTV.

Coupled with the correct government and regulatory framework, the move will also potentially enable a significant increase in Smart’s local loop unbundling (LLU) coverage.

“Today’s deal with ESBT is a further commitment by Smart Telecom to roll out next-generation networks (NGNs) and services to the people of Ireland and being fibre-based, will reduce our carbon footprint due to lower power requirements than copper-based services,” Quinn explained.

“ESBT has demonstrated an ability to provide superb support and extremely high-capacity services. While other providers are reducing investment, Smart Telecom continues to invest in Ireland’s NGNs and fibre future,” Quinn added.

Smart Telecom’s current offering includes 1Mbps, 4Mbps, 5Mbps, 8Mbps, 10Mbps and 15Mbps products with no usage limits and no contention or line sharing.

Existing high-speed packages are available to over 550,000 consumers throughout the Smart Telecom exchanges in Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Louth, Sligo and Waterford.

Tom Bambury, general manager of ESBT, said the deal with Smart will provide greater services to consumers.

“ESBT is pleased to provide the necessary infrastructure to Smart Telecom to provide greater capacity and wider choice to its customers. I am particularly pleased that ESB high-capacity fibre network is helping Smart Telecom to reduce its carbon footprint.”

By John Kennedy"
From;http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/10931/comms/esb-puts-the-fibre-in-smarts-diet
http://www.enn.ie/article/10124571.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0630/breaking55.htm


What I want to know is what will this mean for those of us, like me, whose exchange has not yet been unbundled by Smart- are we now more likely to get it?
My exchange (Dunshaughlin) apparently does have a MAN link and Smart provide broadband to the local community school. However, I have asked them many times before about setting up here but they never reply:mad: I am sick of being stuck with Eircom!

pizzahead77

I can't see why Smart would do a deal like this if it wasn't to increase the number of exchanges that they can unbundle and to provide more backhaul for them

rc28

How does the ESB own so much fibre- does it run alongside their own electric cables or something? I really hope Smart start a major new rollout soon. The more pressure on Eircom the better.

pizzahead77

Here's how they did it

http://www.esbtelecoms.ie/about_us/overview.htm

zuroph

smart havent been upgrading any exhanges in quite some time...this is obviously why; they had this in the pipeline. nice work smart!

bk

zuroph wrote: »

smart havent been upgrading any exhanges in quite some time...this is obviously why; they had this in the pipeline. nice work smart!

That makes no sense, Smart haven't been upgrading any exchanges in a while, because they almost went bust and Eircom charges ridiculous money to unbundle an exchange.

Smart could have done this deal at any time, the ESB are happy to sell access to their network to anyone who wants it.

I assume the reason Smart are doing this now, is because Comreg is currently forcing Eircom to reduce their unbundling charges, making LLU actually worth doing.

It is also looking like smart might be bought soon, perhaps by o2.

helimachoptor

bk wrote: »

It is also looking like smart might be bought soon, perhaps by o2.

should be done and dusted by the end of the year.

Sqaull20

Pardon my ignorance, but what does this mean for people not living in the cities/ very large towns like Tralee,Clonmel,Ennis etc?

Towns like Fermoy, Roscrea, Youghal, Tramore, Newcastle West, Thurles etc will still be Eircom/resellers only?

jor el

bk wrote: »

I assume the reason Smart are doing this now, is because Comreg is currently forcing Eircom to reduce their unbundling charges, making LLU actually worth doing.

About bloody time too.

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance, but what does this mean for people not living in the cities/ very large towns like Tralee,Clonmel,Ennis etc?

Towns like Fermoy, Roscrea, Youghal, Tramore, Newcastle West, Thurles etc will still be Eircom/resellers only?

Anyone doing LLU will most likely just go for the major exchanges first. Smaller towns will not get anything from Smart, or any other company, for a while. Though if the LLU price does come down, then it might open it up for companies like Smart, Magnet, and maybe Sky and others, to go into the smaller exchanges.

smellslikeshoes

Doubt its a coincidence that this was announced a few days after Comreg cut LLU charges in what can only be described as a big way.

batman2000

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

Doubt its a coincidence that this was announced a few days after Comreg cut LLU charges in what can only be described as a big way.

Yep in a big way is right. Cut by 65% from €8.41 to €2.94, about timeas well.

http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0627/eircom.html

bk

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Towns like Fermoy, Roscrea, Youghal, Tramore, Newcastle West, Thurles etc will still be Eircom/resellers only?

If those towns have completed MANs and the MANs are connected to the ESB or BT backhaul network then it is possible that the likes of Smart and BT will roll out their own products there, but no guarantee,

I recognise some of those towns being on MAN phase 2, so there is some hope for them.

bk

batman2000 wrote: »

Yep in a big way is right. Cut by 65% from €8.41 to €2.94, about timeas well.

http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0627/eircom.html

I believe there are bigger cuts to come, this charge is only a one part of the cost of LLU, Eircom charge outrageous money for lots of other things, like access to the exchange, power, flower space, rack space, etc. I believe these charges are also currently under negotiation.

BaconZombie

Bord Gáis have been doing this {laying dark fibre} when every they lay new pipes or upgrade an area.

They have even blow fibre down a live pipe without cutting off the gas flow.....
And the reason is simple is costed then crap off it do it and it a good long term investment.
~95% of the old tunnels and old sewer lines under Dublin are packed to the brim with either live or dark fibre......

rc28 wrote: »

How does the ESB own so much fibre- does it run alongside their own electric cables or something? I really hope Smart start a major new rollout soon. The more pressure on Eircom the better.

paulm17781

BOFH_139 wrote: »

~95% of the old tunnels and old sewer lines under Dublin are packed to the brim with either live or dark fibre......

Slightly OT but what tunnels / sewers? Any info on these?

StickyMcGinty

rc28 wrote: »

What I want to know is what will this mean for those of us, like me, whose exchange has not yet been unbundled by Smart- are we now more likely to get it?
My exchange (Dunshaughlin) apparently does have a MAN link and Smart provide broadband to the local community school. However, I have asked them many times before about setting up here but they never reply:mad: I am sick of being stuck with Eircom!

i'm on the same exchange as yourself and i've been emailing/googling all day to find out if the Dunshaughlin MAN is hooked up to the ESB network... i'll let you know if i find anything

heres a map of the ESB network

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/302C6F15-F0A4-4DA6-981C-D1F9876E1FB9/0/2005_05_dcmnr_bb_map.jpg

byte

StickyMcGinty wrote: »

i'm on the same exchange as yourself and i've been emailing/googling all day to find out if the Dunshaughlin MAN is hooked up to the ESB network... i'll let you know if i find anything

heres a map of the ESB network

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/302C6F15-F0A4-4DA6-981C-D1F9876E1FB9/0/2005_05_dcmnr_bb_map.jpg

Thanks for link to the map.

Pity Donegal Town isn't included, even though the ESBT fibre seems to run through it. I was also pretty sure that the town had a fibre MAN installed last year, though it seems I'm wrong.

Sqaull20

bk wrote: »

I recognise some of those towns being on MAN phase 2, so there is some hope for them.

What exactly does " Mans phase two " mean bk?

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/302C6F15-F0A4-4DA6-981C-D1F9876E1FB9/0/2005_05_dcmnr_bb_map.jpg

Thanks

AlmightyCushion

Sqaull20 wrote: »

What exactly does " Mans phase two " mean bk?

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/302C6F15-F0A4-4DA6-981C-D1F9876E1FB9/0/2005_05_dcmnr_bb_map.jpg

Thanks

The government is putting down fibre optics in towns in an effort to increase competition in the broadband market. These are called mans (it's short for metropolitan area network). They are currently on phase two which will include the following towns.

http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Metropolitan+Area+Networks/Phase+II+Towns.htm

Marlow

BOFH_139 wrote: »

Bord Gáis have been doing this {laying dark fibre} when every they lay new pipes or upgrade an area.

They have even blow fibre down a live pipe without cutting off the gas flow.....

They just ran into one problem, when they tried to get a fiber from Dublin to Belfast: Some of the farmers, who's land the pipes cross want more money, since the original deal is for gas only. Makes it expensive again.

Also, when blowing the fiber through the pipes, each and every of them has to be contacted for permission. This doesn't make it an easy or quick process.

/Martin

Rattlehead_ie

To be honest this is nothing more than PR etc, most ISPs in the country run their backhauls etc off the ESB Telecoms for a long time now at this stage. It will probably mean very little change going forward.

bk

Marlow wrote: »

They just ran into one problem, when they tried to get a fiber from Dublin to Belfast: Some of the farmers, who's land the pipes cross want more money, since the original deal is for gas only. Makes it expensive again.

Also, when blowing the fiber through the pipes, each and every of them has to be contacted for permission. This doesn't make it an easy or quick process.

If that is the case, then the government should change the law, to allow them to do it without paying the farmers, in the national interest.

ROS123

I live in a small town (pop 3500) in the midlands which is named in Phase II of the MANS. It is also on the ESB map, phase II. What needs to happen for it to be made live. How do you get connected, how do they physically connect into houses. Is this where LLU and Eircom comes in ?

bk

ROS123 wrote: »

I live in a small town (pop 3500) in the midlands which is named in Phase II of the MANS. It is also on the ESB map, phase II. What needs to happen for it to be made live. How do you get connected, how do they physically connect into houses. Is this where LLU and Eircom comes in ?

Yes, ordinary people don't directly connect to the MANs. Instead the fibre from the MAN's is connected to the local Eircom exchanges that the MAN passes and then the likes of Smart have the option to install their gear in the exchange. There is generally no change to your own house, you still sue the regular telephone line.

Victor

bk wrote: »

you still sue the regular telephone line.

How telling.

I think BOFH_139 might be exagerating at 95%, but yes lots of disused sewers and pipes are re-used as cable ducts. Bord Gáis have their own Aurora Telecom (it's 100% BG owned, but I think it started as a joint venture). Any time pipes, cables or ducts are laid these days, spare ones are likely to be installed - however I think the councils have given up on insisting they are installed under EU competition rules. Dublin City Council have a huge network that they use for their own purposes, mostly traffic lights.

The non-comms utility companies use their fibre optic network to monitor their main network to report usage, faults, etc.