Ryan giving grants for DTT Set Top Boxes

Sponge Bob

http://www.eamonryan.ie/2010/12/08/budget-2011-maintains-ambitious-programme-of-delivery-for-energy-and-communications/

To prepare for the switch on of digital television, new funding has been set aside to grant aid set-top boxes for those on lower incomes.
For further information on any of these elements, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 01 2995513

His staff don't answer emails.

Deedsie

Any more information on this? Define low income?

watty

http://www.saortv.info/2010/12/08/grants-for-set-box/

There is a survey, or will be a survey to decide who gets what.

The Cush

In yesterday's Budget details the Dept of Communications has allocated €3 million to Digital terrestrial television to include a public information campaign in 2011 and according to the RTÉ website possibly a set top box grant.

watty

Any Corrections or additions most appreciated for

http://www.saortv.info/news/

You can send me updates here http://www.techtir.ie/contact for the SaorTv.info News Section

Select "saortv.info" rather than "I'm a Sp4mm3r" on Category: *

A real email address is only needed if you expect an email back. (but put someting in)

No prizes for guessing what happens to "wrong category" emails.

lucernarian

They'll be lazy and just keep any grants or subsidies for those on medical cards, I suspect.

watty

That would be the simplest idea. Probably cheapest as bureaucracy and "means testing" costs money.

However ANYONE deemed by RTE NL to be out of DTT coverage should get 100% cost of a Dish & Ka-LNBF install for Saorsat. Box itself subsidy on same basis as Saorview.

I think any grants or subsidies unlikely before 2012, or maybe Q3 2011 at earliest.

The Cush

watty wrote: »

http://www.saortv.info/2010/12/08/grants-for-set-box/

There is a survey, or will be a survey to decide who gets what.

That report may be complete and in the hands of the Dept already, maybe the reason we are suddenly seeing all these references to a set top box grant.

Hopefully they will release the report in due course.

The Cush

watty wrote: »

However ANYONE deemed by RTE NL to be out of DTT coverage should get 100% cost of a Dish & Ka-LNBF install for Saorsat. Box itself subsidy on same basis as Saorview.

I think any grants or subsidies unlikely before 2012, or maybe Q3 2011 at earliest.

In this economic climate can't see the Dept covering the cost of a dish install for Saorsat.

I agree with you about when a grant for a DTT receiver might become available, in other countries that I know of the subsidy was made available for a period before ASO - the UK help scheme for example.

The question, why is Eamon Ryan making a solo run on this considering he probably won't be around when Saorview launches around May let alone 2012.

watty

The Cush wrote: »

In this economic climate can't see the Dept covering the cost of a dish install for Saorsat.

I agree with you about when a grant for a DTT receiver might become available, in other countries that I know of the subsidy was made available for a period before ASO - the UK help scheme for example.

The question, why is Eamon Ryan making a solo run on this considering he probably won't be around when Saorview launches around May let alone 2012.

maybe he has faint hope of re-election?

The Dish install according to RTE NL would only be for 2%? Not for people that want or need big aerials, but for people that RTE NL decide are not in coverage.

There are about 1.58M households that admit to having a TV
http://mavise.obs.coe.int/country?id=17
2% is 32 thousand

If cost is €150, (just for cheap dish & LNB and sky type contract install, not the actual receiver) then cost is 32 x 150 K = €4.8 Million

About 28% of households have one person at least with a Medical Card? So that would be then 442K subsidized Set-boxes. Maybe a €50 grant?

The government commitment is so far
€3M for publicity
€22M for set-box subsidy (442K households @ €50)
----
€25M

They have not put a cent into Digital Rollout. Most of the cost has been borrowed by RTE NL (€70M?)
They have stopped all direct support of TG4 and diverted 10% of Licence Fee from RTE to TG4

They hope to raise €500M from auction of TV spectrum prior to ASO in 2012 (this is probably (a) Grossly Optimistic, (b) Ensure the spectrum is poorly exploited (c) Raise costs for customers using new Internet services)

So an estimated €4.8 Million for Dish + LNBF + cable + install is hardly a huge burden.

RTE NL save maybe €40M by rolling out about 50 DTT sites instead of 90 to 140 required for "near" full coverage. So the Government might even insist on RTE NL paying the dish install subsidy.

Of course it's likely that "real" coverage of DTT could be effectively as low as 95%. Analogue coverage has always been overstated. But any dish subsidy will be based on "official" maps, not an individual's circumstances.

Sam Russell

They could also have a subsidy for self-help community satellite/deflector systems for 20 or so houses. It would make sense as some sites are neither sat or DTT friendly.

Sponge Bob

Sam Russell wrote: »

They could also have a subsidy for self-help community satellite/deflector systems for 20 or so houses. It would make sense as some sites are neither sat or DTT friendly.

Correct, the subsidy should be given to Satellite Shadow areas with no DTT, eg the likes of Leenane, County Galway.

watty

Yes, that would follow practice in Other countries including UK. You can feed your community DTT transmitter with just two ASI output Satellite receivers. You then get RTE NL transmission quality.

Sponge Bob

RTE might even be contracted to install and run these 'community' masts in certain cases...they own the existing masts after all

watty

170+ sites vs the 50 to 52 DTT.
also there are the ESB sites.

Sponge Bob

watty wrote: »

170+ sites vs the 50 to 52 DTT.

That is to say 170 (is that existing or ideally Watty ??? I thought 120 existing inc self helps) transmission sites of which only 52 will be upgraded to DTT with many of the rest abandoned by RTE in 2 years time.

I'd say that Ryan will announce nothing until KA Sat is in orbit and working .....or not :cool:

watty

RTE manage and rent space and transmit TODAY from about 170+ sites. And don't have anything like the coverage claimed.

RTE will not abandon any as they make money from them. Mobile Radio, mobile phone, Microwave Links, Fixed Wireless Broadband, Local Radio etc...

I think they need 140 DTT sites. An earlier plan had 90.

The Cush

watty wrote: »

They have stopped all direct support of TG4 and diverted 10% of Licence Fee from RTE to TG4

They hope to raise €500M from auction of TV spectrum prior to ASO in 2012 (this is probably (a) Grossly Optimistic, (b) Ensure the spectrum is poorly exploited (c) Raise costs for customers using new Internet services)

TG4 is still directly funded by the Dept - €30+ million p.a., what the Budget has done is divert €10 million of the licence fee into this figure thus reducing the burden on the exchequer.

Comreg has set a minimum auction price of €150 million (over 15-17 years) on the digital dividend spectrum, can't see it getting anywhere near €500 million.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

That is to say 170 (is that existing or ideally Watty ??? I thought 120 existing inc self helps) transmission sites of which only 52 will be upgraded to DTT with many of the rest abandoned by RTE in 2 years time.

RTÉ has said previously they have 170 analogue sites transmiting RTÉ 1 & 2 with a lesser number transmitting TG4.

watty wrote: »

I think they need 140 DTT sites. An earlier plan had 90.

RTÉNL indicated during the commercial DTT process up to circa 188 sites transmittng the PSB muxes and up to 44 sites carrying the commercial muxes.
51 sites is the latest official figure.

Capt'n Midnight

In other countries the set top box grant was available to all TV license holders.

So instead of a grant they could offer discount on TV license ?

Of course that doesn't really apply to those who get the license free already.


But overall the government will easily be able to fund this from the auction.

Cheapest way of publicising this would be to print it on the license /include it when posting out the license or buying it over the counter / add to the on line license page. ( unless of course RTE can show ads for free )

John mac

Sponge Bob wrote: »

http://www.eamonryan.ie/2010/12/08/budget-2011-maintains-ambitious-programme-of-delivery-for-energy-and-communications/



His staff don't answer emails.

they also removed this quote. :rolleyes:


http://www.eamonryan.ie/2010/12/09/budget-2011-dail-speech/

The Cush

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

In other countries the set top box grant was available to all TV license holders.

Not the case in the UK.

John mac wrote: »

they also removed this quote. :rolleyes:

Too many calls?

Sponge Bob

The Cush wrote: »

Too many calls?

Ryan REMOVED the link.
Ryan EDITED OUT the bit that said

"To prepare for the switch on of digital television, new funding has been set aside to grant aid set-top boxes for those on lower incomes.
For further information on any of these elements, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 01 2995513"

Ryan then UPLOADED the rest of his speech as a new link.

However Ryan left it lying around on the Green Party Website HERE

Digital Television
To prepare for the switch on of digital television, €1.5 million has been set aside to grant aid set-top boxes for those on lower incomes.

God he is truly pathetic

watty

To prepare for the switch on of digital television, €1.5 million has been set aside to grant aid set-top boxes for those on lower incomes.

That's 30,000 families/housholds @ €50 each.

Pathetic.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=69469599&postcount=10
By my arithmetic based on Medical cards (only counting households, not multiple cards) it should be €22M

Have you a linky for the 188 sites Cush?
(So my 140 isn't over generous).

We are sunk without community DTT distribution and without Saorsat fill in. I suspect we won't even see the 52.

Sam Russell

They launched 'National DAB Service' with about 3 transmitters, and did not include Mt Leinster. At least they are up to 90% (claim 95%) with DTT, and have it up and running.

I think if the Saorsat service launches, it will probably give rise to many community deflector systems. If they are legal, RTE NL could come up with a design and suggested equipment so that a support service could be put in place. That way any community could assess how much money was needed for the kit and then install it with RTE NL approval and the appropriate licence from BAI. A $ky subscription of €45/m soon adds up, and spread across even as few as 20 houses is over €10 grand per year.

Early days. We do not even have sight of the satellite yet.

The Cush

watty wrote: »

Have you a linky for the 188 sites Cush?
(So my 140 isn't over generous).

The figure comes from RTÉNL's proposed Schedule of Tariffs for DTT.