NBS: How many new sites ?

clohamon

The number of new mast sites to be built under the NBS is still a bit of a mystery.

The department were previously talking about 400+

The NBS network will comprise of a high number of sites* (over 400) to ensure that a deep coverage is provided using the latest Internet High Speed Packet Access (I-HSPA) technology.

later DCENR wrote about a "committment to 375"

Three themselves are talking about 389.

A check around the local authority planning websites turned up 210 successful planning applications by 3. ( That is searching applications under "Hutchinson", "Hutchison", and "3G" made since 23/12/2008) and they're viewable here.

http://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?snapid=120219
(two sites in Kilkenny do not have locations)


So presumably there are other means of erecting new rf antennae without requiring planning permission or perhaps Three used other names etc to make their applications.

watty

Yes, they can use RTE, ESB, Garda, Privately owned masts, Threefold masts and roofs/Chimneys easily. That could be over 2000 sites. They can potentially rent space on O2 or Vodafone masts.

Meteor is part of eircom.
Vodafone may be mostly eircom masts as it was eircell.
Eircom sold most of their masts to Threefold (no connection AFAIK to Three Ireland).
For roof / chimney the Council needs informed. But there is no planning permission required provided the Aerials don't exceed a certain height limit

Of course Three had to dramatically increase number of 3G sites to meet their 3G licence commitments which they may have been over two years behind on.

It was a Mobile Phone rollout that had to be done anyway.

Eircom's NBS would have been similar as Meteor's new 3G licence needed to be rolled out. The NBS was so badly designed that the only people that could afford to do it were folk needing to roll out 3G Phone system anyway. Previous to Ryan bad scheme that he simply signed off on.

clohamon

I'm curious as to how its possible to erect new panels anywhere without informing the public. The RPII have delegated the testing to comreg it seems, but it still doesn't absolve the local authorities from ensuring that new rf emitters are within safe limits, whatever the location.

In some cases planning permission was sought for just the attachment of panels to an existing mast. And usually there is a distinction made between the owner of the site and the applicant. Maybe the rules are different for each council.


Off topic.

I came across this ambitious plan in Kildare.

watty

If it's an existing mast, then no-one is informed. All GSM & 3G transmissions have to be within Comreg licence limits and range is limited mainly by the handset/Modem, not Base Station power.

If it's on a building (i.e. clamped on chimney, or on a flat roof) the Council only has to be informed.

In theory they are supposed to inform Comreg where all sites are. But no permission is required.

Only on a mountain for a big rural cell where the mast is 5km from nearest habitation and 10km to 20km from another mast would there even be a temptation to increase power. Even then they wouldn't, even if allowed as the range is limited by the power of the transmitter in Phone/Modem.

So RF power is not an issue.

It's very rare that they want more than 15m / 16m height as the range interferes with other cells. There are only 3 channels nationwide for each operator. Tetra can use 30m masts as it covers a larger area for fewer users.

An extension to existing mast may be for dish for LOS link for backhaul. It's very common to see the phone aerials only 1/3rd to 1/2 way up a mast and dishes and other gear at top.

An old GSM mast may have used primary ISDN (2Mbps) or even DSL link. For an HSPA enabled mast you may need 100Mbps to cope with peak traffic even though average throughput can hardly exceed 10Mbps for whole Mast.

clohamon

Robert Troy asks the question. The answer still leaves room for misinterpretation; its still not clear if all 390 sites were established since the NBS contract was awarded.


Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Question 308: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the number of new sites established under the national broadband scheme has reached the target of over 400 stated previously on his website; if not, the number of new sites that have been completed and are functioning correctly at present; and the number of those that are masts supporting antennae in new locations. [11439/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Minister, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Dublin South West, Labour)

My Department entered into a contract with “3”, a Hutchinson Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) in late December 2008. Since then, 3 has progressed its network roll-out and since October 2010, NBS broadband services are available in all of the 1,028 designated Electoral Divisions (ED) covered under the Scheme, in line with contractual commitments.
3’s primary contractual obligation centred on ensuring that service was available in all NBS areas by October last. In order to ensure the successful delivery of this obligation, 3 extended and enhanced its network and now has 390 sites across the NBS areas. I have provided a table below which details the breakdown of these sites.

Greenfield Sites (new build structures) 197
Co-location on existing structures 186
Buildings 7
Total 390

My Department has put in place robust monitoring arrangements to ensure that the NBS network delivers the minimum specified service or better to all users. Performance delivery data, which is submitted to my Department on a monthly basis or as required, is critically analysed by independent technical consultants, Analysys Mason Ltd.
On the basis of the information provided to my Department, I am satisfied that the specified service levels required under the NBS contract are being met.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2011/05/17/00216.asp

watty

Look at how many sites 3 said they would do to meet their 3G licence obligations, vs how many behind they were years after the date passed, vs total now.

I think you find that total 3 sites is still shy of what 3 said they would do years before NBS was even mooted.

Not one of these sites belongs to or is exclusive to NBS. That would break 3's 3G licence. Every single one is a regular Mobile phone basestation running HSPA on top. Anything else is breach of 3G licence.