How To Convince Eircom To Enable Exchange.

iamlegend2008

Hi

My apologies if this has been asked before.

Im in west Mayo and have just found out that our exchange will never be broadband enabled by eircom as they deem it not competitive from a cost perspective. Instead, the area is planned to be covered by the NBS rollout (dont get me started).

I believe that there is sufficient interest in the area and would like to know how to go about convincing eircom to change their mind if thats possible.

For example: is there a trigger number number of expressions of interest that would get eircom to listen ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

jor el

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

For example: is there a trigger number number of expressions of interest that would get eircom to listen ?

There used to be one, but I don't believe any exchange ever got enabled because of it. I think the interest level had to be in the order of hundreds anyway.

There's probably nothing you can do, or at least nothing that eircom will pay any attention to. Comreg, Minister for comms, etc, won't give a damn either, as they'll just claim that the NBS will cover you anyway :rolleyes: I can't wait for the 21st century to begin.

watty

Many exchanges the trigger number was close to or exceeding the number of active eircom accounts. Even if you had a phone serivce, you could not register interest without an eircom account number.

smellslikeshoes

Honestly, there's not a chance you can get Eircom to upgrade it. If Eircom haven't upgraded or plan to upgrade it there is probably a reason behind it. At this stage its smaller exchanges that are left and ones that Eircom know they would have to put a lot of work to, it might be the case of horrible copper in the area and only a fraction of the lines would be capable of broadband without major and costly work.

If you're not happy waiting and relying on the NBS you could probably try convincing a wireless company to put a mast up in the area, they would be more receptive than Eircom but that is a relative term and would still likely tell you to feck off.

PogMoThoin

Get a wireless provider to cover the area, then Eircom could magically enable the exchange like they've done in the past. Equipment has been known to appear overnight

oscarBravo

Where in west Mayo?

Avns1s

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Get a wireless provider to cover the area, then Eircom could magically enable the exchange like they've done in the past. Equipment has been known to appear overnight

Ha ha. You just beat me to it.

iamlegend2008

Hi

The area is alrealdy covered by Westnet but I did not feel that this gets Eircom off the hook so to speak.

Still, its good to get feedback even if the outlook is not great

Cheers

PogMoThoin

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

The area is alrealdy covered by Westnet but...........

Well then whats the problem?

Dsl is not the "be all and end all",
* your line may not even be suitable due to poor quality copper
* You may be on a pair gain and never get dsl
* You may be too far from the exchange, after 5km the chances anything are slim and phone lines don't travel in straight lines
* You also have the extra expense of line rental which You don't have on Westnet
* Dsl packages never deliver the full value, 1mbit dsl is ~750kbps in reality

bealtine

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

Hi

The area is alrealdy covered by Westnet but I did not feel that this gets Eircom off the hook so to speak.

If you need broadband go with Westnet...or wait for that disaster the NBS.

cgarvey

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

I believe that there is sufficient interest in the area and would like to know how to go about convincing eircom to change their mind if thats possible.

It's not. If eircom aren't convinced of the commercial viability of an upgrade, you're outta luck! Commercial viability often includes the need for more eircom customers than are actually connected to the exchange to put in firm orders (not just an expression of interest). eircom are a long way off dealing with interested groups (but they might have a change of heart some time from now, when the rest of their rollout has caught up... or if an alternative provider is in place, but that's obviously not enough of a carrot in your case).

PogMoThoin

Also look into blueface.ie for very cheap phone services over broadband
Then You can kiss Eircom goodbye .............although it takes them 3 months to port an existing Eircom number to blueface as they drag every cent of line rental out of it (any mobile phone can be ported in less than 15 mins)

clohamon

I suggest that you put up some sheets in the local shops, post office, pubs etc. for householders to sign-up with expressions of interest.

With the petition, (as many names as possible) see if you can get your TD to arrange a meeting with either Ned Sullivan or Rex Comb.

Failing that, send in a registered letter to Eircom with the sheets of names. (by the way, make it clear to householders who sign on the sheets that you may be doing this)

My own experience was that I sent in the lists of names to Eircom and eventually got an email from someone (whose details I have lost) to say that we were not going to be considered for another year at least. I later heard that Dominic Hannigan, a councillor from Meath, had got a meeting with Pierre Danon, the then chairman, and had presented a petition from residents and businesses in Stamullin. Danon agreed to enable the exchange.

I phoned Dominic Hannigan and he was quite helpful and explained what he had done. I had just phoned our own TD to arrange to do the same thing when Eircom announced the 300+ exchange program and we were on it.

I cannot say whether the list I had mailed in to Eircom had anything to do with our inclusion on that program (we had over a hundred names) and its true that Dominic Hannigan in Meath had many more names, but it may be worth a try.

ureds

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

Hi

My apologies if this has been asked before.

Im in west Mayo and have just found out that our exchange will never be broadband enabled by eircom as they deem it not competitive from a cost perspective. Instead, the area is planned to be covered by the NBS rollout (dont get me started).

I believe that there is sufficient interest in the area and would like to know how to go about convincing eircom to change their mind if thats possible.

For example: is there a trigger number number of expressions of interest that would get eircom to listen ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Where in Mayo?

fergalfrog

clohamon wrote: »

I suggest that you put up some sheets in the local shops, post office, pubs etc. for householders to sign-up with expressions of interest.

With the petition, (as many names as possible) see if you can get your TD to arrange a meeting with either Ned Sullivan or Rex Comb.

I did exactly this! In fact Rex Comb called me and I met with him - he is a good guy and a I think a loss to Eircom and this country.

I have well over 100 names on my petition. I hand delivered my petition to Eamon Ryan and we contacted every td who had anything to do with our area. We have had letters printed in papers etc. Full details are at:
http://www.williamstownoffline.com/

Local TD's have been a waste of time a fact we will be reminding people in the upcoming local elections - just wait til they call to my door canvasing!

They have no power over Eircom and so lobbying them will have little or no effect. I have thrown out other ideas (see http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055474624) and am open to any other suggestions.

We are due to be upgraded in Q2 of this year - we have a wireless mast in town but this only serves some of the area. If we are not upgraded soon I am thinking of setting up a collection (church gate collections, raffles, dinner dances, pig races whatever!) to fund or part fund the upgrade of our exchange. Effectively we would pay Eircom to do it. This is similar to locals having to pay for fixing potholes on their main street.

It's a massive disgrace the situation we're in and it's not going to get better any time soon.

iamlegend2008

ureds wrote: »

Where in Mayo?

Hi, its the killadoon exchange.

PogMoThoin: good points, but a lot of "mays" and there "may" be just as many people that could avail of a service from Eircom or others if the exchange was enabled. I also see that you are a DSL customer so somebody must be doing something right

Fergal Frog: Great information and the site looks good. Definitely food for thought there.

Cheers.

PogMoThoin

iamlegend2008 wrote: »

PogMoThoin: good points, but a lot of "mays" and there "may" be just as many people that could avail of a service from Eircom or others if the exchange was enabled. I also see that you are a DSL customer so somebody must be doing something right

:rolleyes: Not by choice, my only other option here in Co. Roscommon is LastMile who are dire, tried them as my first option and couldn't wait to be rid.......If I was in Mayo I'd not have Eircom, my mam is less than 50m from her local exchange which is enabled and has WestNet and Blueface.

WestNet cover Kiladoon, Can You see the hotel from Your house? There are also other Westnet Ap's in the area.

Sponge Bob

Killadoon , half way between Killary Harbour and Louisburgh should ALSO have coverage by Lighthouse , the carrier that provides minimum 4mbits up and 4mbits down in Inishbofin (well they started off in Inishbofin and have almost reached the Shannon now ) and who state they cover Killadoon .

Inisbofin has had 100% coverage for years already ...as does Inishturk . Ye are 5 miles away across the atlantic.....on the mainland

See.

http://www.lightnet.ie/coverage.html

eircom are only getting as far as Louisburgh this year . Killadoon is perfect for wireless from that hill on Inishturk .

Get 20 people to express interest in signing up in the area . Negiotiate a bulk connection deal and then send them the list , I am sure installation will be cheaper in bulk . Use your leverage .

Having a choice between Westnet and Lighhouse is probably the best position that a physically isolated ( but FLAT ) community like Killadoon could be in .

Your other problem is that the exchange is small. Louisburgh is three times bigger and Williamstown is twice as big . Eircom will have left 300 exchanges undone when the current upgrade program finishes and Killadoon is in the bottom half of those 300 in terms of size along with its isolation .

Lots of Ireland can only get satellite because there are no proper wireless carriers in much of the country or else there is only one crap carrier ...eg Lastmile and Ice in parts of the Midlands.

Ye can deal with two wireless carriers . Off with ye so ! There are many worse off than the people of Killadoon .