Anyone know how we can get Eircom to upgrade the exchange, like they promised?

trekkypj

Right folks,

I have just noticed that BroadbandAtoZ is no longer active. I have been consistently told since Sept 2008 that the local Exchange (Coan, Co. Kilkenny) will be upgraded. Q1 2009 was the original date given.

It's not a huge exchange, but it was on the list to be done. It's one of only two exchanges on the Carlow-Kilkenny list that hasn't been upgraded. (The other is Oldtown, South Kilkenny)

UPDATE: The Eircom Exchange Code is COO - it's in the 056 area

*What I've been doing lately*

I spoke a few days ago to someone from technical support. The exchange is not scheduled to be upgraded within the next three months apparently.

What I'm afraid of is that Eircom may renege on its promise to DSL enable the locak exchange. There's been sporadic activity for the last couple of years but no concerted effort that I can see to get it finished.

I know Eircom is broke and is losing staff, but this is a long-standing commitment and I believe that they should be held to their promise.

There are some people cancelling their phone line altogether because they are fed up waiting. The exchange is only 0.5 km down the road, and the cabling has been replaced! They're all signing up for mobile internet - there's a 3 mast gone up a few km from the village. Maybe that's why they haven't DSL enabled it.

*The problem is...*

Nonetheless, my parents are getting on and can't be expected to fit and use 3G dongles. They can barely turn on a computer and they both have poor eyesight anyhow. They need a wired DSL connection that doesn't need 'yokes connected and menus pressed' to get a connection.

My parents have been customers since the late seventies - they originally got the now defunct Department of Posts and Telegraphs to install the line - that's how old it is. They've been loyal customers all that time.


They spent hundreds of euro on dial-up per year before the 3 service became available 18 months ago. It's not really good enough for Skype or anything that requires low latency (no offence to 3 - that's not what it's designed for).

They pay the same for a landline-only service as someone with broadband - in fact the bill was higher because they could not benefit from the bundles! They ALSO have to pay €19.99 extra for the 3 dongle.

They're both retired now so they do get the telephone allowance but before this the bill was often €250 every two months for very little use!

And now I've been offered a job in Kuwait: I leave in mid-August and I need to be able to talk with them over Skype. I want to get things sorted for them so they could, perhaps, use a skype device that plugs into the DSL socket so they don't need to use a PC.

But until eircom actually do what they said they would and DSL enable the exchange, I can't even do that much!

*Can you help?*

Folks, I need to try and get eircom to give me a straight answer and a committment to get my folks broadband enabled. It's not good enough to keep us waiting so long and breaking their word to us. We need the service. We expect them to honour their committment to enable the exchange. We don't want to be fobbed off any more.

I'd appreciate it if the good folks from IrelandOffline could share their wisdom and advice in trying to get this done.

clohamon

trekkypj wrote: »

What I'm afraid of is that Eircom may renege on its promise to DSL enable the locak exchange.

You may have seen this thread. Sad to say, its not very encouraging.


You should write to Paul Donovan by registered post and remind him politely about the commitment his company made back in 2007.

trekkypj

Cheers. I intend to do just that!

I find it very suspicious that they pulled the website - trying to hide the committment that they made perhaps!

trekkypj

Ugh I just got the dreaded *There are no plans to upgrade this exchange at this time* from an Eircom rep.

That's just... disgraceful - either the rep doesn't know either way or the whole program has been scrapped with thirty exchanges still to go. :mad:
So looks like it's not going to happen. Five years of misinformation and being led on.

If it wasn't for the fact that my folks need the phone line while I'm abroad, I'd tell them to cancel it, immediately. As it is, it just goes to show eircom has no interest in serving customers with DSL in rural ireland. That's why it is leaching phone lines as people move to mobile and 3G internet.

I swore I would never do it but I may now have to consider satellite options. Maybe from the Ka-band sats. (I know they're not much better lag-wise than the 3G but at least it's a point and plug in solution.

trekkypj

I've posted the text of a letter I'm sending to Minister Rabbitte on the Broadband forum.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=73043168&postcount=32

Maybe something will come of it :rolleyes:

thegills

I had this issue years ago in Ballina / Killaloe. I set up a Group Broadband Scheme and managed to get Irish Broadband (now Imagine) to install a base station covering the town. eircom had their exchange enabled within days of IBB going live after years of me pestering their Broadband Product Manager. Maybe it was politics or maybe they thought there was a demand. It's a lot of work but maybe if you can show some demand iwthin the community (gather names etc.) to eircom they will listen.

Try this guy whose name I found online - Brian O'Leary Broadband Product Manager at eircom

trekkypj

I had a local Eircom engineer call by this morning to replace the master socket. Sound guy.

Anyway I asked him what gives with the delay in getting the local exchange upgraded. He said that there had been work done on it and there had been plans to install a mast for TETRA and other equipment at the exchange. There was to be a radio link installed at the exchange to broadband enable it ().

The story is that they were turned down for planning permission. I suspect because the exchange is (a) close to a school and (b) near the main village street.

So they don't apparently have wired backhaul available and they can't use a radio link. Perfect.

*sigh*