EU plan to spend billions on boosting broadband speeds

bealtine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15320628

The European Commission is set to propose investing almost €9.2bn (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union.

The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.

It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.

The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.

It aims to get all European households on at least 30 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020, with half the population enjoying more than 100Mbps, so as to make the continent more competitive and productive.
Economic need

The BBC understands that the EU's executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.

The plan would have to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers if it were to become reality.

"Europe needs these fast broadband networks to allow its economy to become more competitive in the future, and so create more jobs and prosperity," EU sources said.

"This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more."

At least €7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.

The hope is that giving infrastructure projects credibility in this way would encourage the private sector, as well as local and national governments, to invest at least a further €50bn in the rollout.

European Parliament debate on fast broadband from 9 May 2011

The remainder of the Commission's funding would be parcelled out in grants for projects that could help create a single European market for broadband-based services such as e-health, cybersecurity and intelligent energy networks.

The money would come from a new fund called the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This proposed fund would also be used for new transport and energy projects, with the Commission and the European Investment Bank absorbing risk and boosting the projects' credit ratings.

Part of the plan is for the CEF to pressure established telecommunications companies into investing more in their own networks, as they would not be the only ones able to bid for funding.

New players such as water, sewage and electricity utility companies would also be encouraged to enter the broadband game with CEF backing, as would construction firms, cooperatives and public authorities.
Rural boost

A particular objective is to get more money invested in rural broadband. Left to their own devices, telecoms companies often invest less in such areas because they are not as profitable as more densely-populated towns and cities.

While the Commission's digital agenda is largely about getting citizens on fast connections, it also contains plans to make electronic public services available equally across the continent.

Under the proposals to be unveiled on Wednesday, grants could go to cross-border e-health and electronic procurement services, smart energy networks and coordinated efforts to take down online child pornography.

Other examples of projects that would meet the Commission's criteria include pan-EU electronic identity schemes, systems that would encourage access to European culture, and multilingual public information services.

The Commission also hopes its plan would immediately create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction and telecoms equipment industries, as efforts to install fibre optic cable networks increase with the additional backing.

European funding has already found its way to several fast broadband projects in the UK. Last year the European Regional Development Fund provided £53.5m to aid BT's next-generation broadband scheme in Cornwall, while £18.5m went to the development of Northern Ireland's broadband infrastructure, also in collaboration with BT.

clohamon

bealtine wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15320628

The BBC understands that the EU's executive body will propose the funding, which would be invested between 2014 and 2020, on Wednesday.

"This money would stimulate much greater investment of private and other public money. Each euro [invested by the Commission] would give rise to a further six to 15 euros more."

At least €7bn of the investment would go to building high-speed broadband networks, with the funding mostly in the form of debt instruments and equity.

That looks like 6 - 14% of state/EU involvement. I can't see how that's going to make a huge difference here. And it doesn't look like aid either, so there will have to be a forecast return on the state money and a business plan.

Cle4n

I wrote a lengthy email to Pat Rabbite regarding this EU funding proposal and a complaint stating that Comreg was weak at regulating internet service providers in Nov 2011. He acknowledged receipt but failed to reply even after a chase up.

I forwarded my email to Michael Kitt TD and same thing, nothing.

I've looked at this document http://www.forfas.ie/publication/search.jsp?ft=/publications/2011/Title,8528,en.php which seems to reiterate what I think. We need fiber rolled out to the whole country, decent broadband for all will create jobs and make us more productive globally.

The Rural Broadband Scheme is just a finger in the dyke and not a solution.

It is quicker, cheaper and a faster return on investment to run fiber over ground. Why can't we use ESB to do this?

I know it isn't quite that simple but I would like to see this matter raised by the media. Ireland should push for early EU funding to help us create immediate IT and construction jobs and help get this country back on it's feet.

The National Broadband Scheme is a failure in my eyes and I have concerns that the government is targeting mobile broadband as the long term fix for this country.

bealtine

Cle4n wrote: »

I wrote a lengthy email to Pat Rabbite regarding this EU funding proposal and a complaint stating that Comreg was weak at regulating internet service providers in Nov 2011. He acknowledged receipt but failed to reply even after a chase up.

I forwarded my email to Michael Kitt TD and same thing, nothing.

What do you expect from a Parliament that thinks 80,000 people disagreeing with them are vandals and spammers? So much for democracy.

The NBS is a sham and the RBS is even worse. The NBS just subsidised a company to build a voice network (with data tacked on as an afterthought). More EU money wasted by a clueless DECNR. The RBS is just an excuse to point at satellite and say "now you have broadband". New government same old tired policies that simply do not work.

The only solution is a co-invested fibre network to within X kilometers of every citizen of the state.

Cle4n

Yes I agree, and what do you know, Labour suggested this in their manifesto http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/planfordigialireland.pdf

I pointed this out in my email to Pat Rabbitte in my email. This makes me even more upset. :mad:

I really would like this to be discussed and challenged in the media. I mentioned this to a local owner of an ISP and he believes we've no chance as the mobile networks have too much influence.

I asked Michael Kitt to raise this in the Dail. That's why I'm typing on here hoping that someone has an avenue to get the point made.

bealtine

Cle4n wrote: »

Yes I agree, and what do you know, Labour suggested this in their manifesto http://www.labour.ie/download/pdf/planfordigialireland.pdf

I pointed this out in my email to Pat Rabbitte in my email. This makes me even more upset. :mad:

I really would like this to be discussed and challenged in the media. I mentioned this to a local owner of an ISP and he believes we've no chance as the mobile networks have too much influence.

I asked Michael Kitt to raise this in the Dail. That's why I'm typing on here hoping that someone has an avenue to get the point made.

Expect absolutely nothing from Labour, they are just corporate puppy dogs gorging on smoked salmon.
FG are just as bad...

The government doesn't actually run the country, they just like you to think that they do...it's run by unnamed unaccountable "civil" servants who, are in the main, utterly clueless. The DECNR being a specific case in point.

clohamon

Cle4n wrote: »

I wrote a lengthy email to Pat Rabbite regarding this EU funding proposal and a complaint stating that Comreg was weak at regulating internet service providers in Nov 2011. He acknowledged receipt but failed to reply even after a chase up.

It's better if you have a specific question.

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/1A9E5DD7-3841-4958-B6D2-D25A988CC4BD/0/CUSTOMERCHARTER20092011.pdf

Written Correspondence
• We will acknowledge all correspondence, including emails, within 3 working days of receiving your communication.
• We will endeavour to comprehensively answer your correspondence within 20 working days.
• If it is not possible to answer within this period, we will send you an interim reply, explaining the position and indicating when you can expect a definitive response.
• We will ensure that all correspondence contains a contact name, telephone number (including Lo-call number), reference number (where appropriate), fax number and email address.

And if you are unhappy…

Complaints/Appeals Procedure
• If you are unhappy with the quality of service you have received, you have the right to complain.
• If you are dissatisfied with decisions in relation to services for which a statutory right of appeal does not exist, you have the right to appeal.
• If it is not possible to resolve the complaint* with the staff member or business unit with whom you have been dealing you can address your complaint to the Customer Services Manager who will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days and endeavour to deal with the complaint within 20 working days.
*Note: The term “complaint” in this context is used to include a customer’s pursuit with the Department of his or her dissatisfaction with the quality of service received or with a decision by the Department concerning the customer.

...but that's not all...

Evaluation/Reporting
• We will evaluate our performance by measuring the
delivery of services using correspondence tracking.
• We will report on our performance in our Annual Report and on our website www.dcenr.gov.ie

Cle4n

Yes, I am aware that I can complain, and although the email was long it was clear what the main requirements were.

A) What are the governments plans regarding next gen broadband particularly concerning the EU funding?

Forward a complaint to Comreg regarding my ISP and personally oversee it and take on board their inability to support me.

The fact that the email was not dealt with but only acknowledged despite a reminder tells me all I need to know.

The boat has already been missed regarding my ISP. As for next gen broadband I was hoping to see a petition on this forum but SOPA is the flavour of the moment.

I would like to think that there is a general consensus that broadband in Ireland is too expensive, uncompetitive, low in quality of service, low in customer service and widely unavailable or unsatisfactory in rural areas.

Thank you for your comments anyway Clohamon.

watty

Cle4n wrote: »

broadband in Ireland is too expensive, uncompetitive, low in quality of service, low in customer service and widely unavailable or unsatisfactory in rural areas.

Mostly true. Even when "good" it's overpriced due to Eircom's line rental, even when it doesn't use a phone line. No-one ever prices much below competition. The theory that competition drives down price and thus is good for consumer only applies if the market is grossly overpriced and a new operator with very deep pockets wants a major share quickly. When a significant share is reached the prices rise again.

e.g. Lidl / Aldi vs Tesco/Dunnes.

The Regulation of comms, Electricity, banking and gas for example is thus based on a faulty philosophy. Competition in Electricity or Phones helping the Consumer? Ha!