Broadband rollout ‘single most important investment’ for job creation

bealtine

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/digital-21/item/26469-broadband-rollout-single-m

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte TD has clearly grasped a point that his predecessors in times of plenty failed to. He said today that the nationwide rollout of fast broadband over the next three years will be the single-most important investment needed to secure future jobs in the local economy.

I could wallpaper my house with the column-inches I've filed trying to make this very point as regulatory bungling, sweating of assets and poor investment decisions frustrated an already bad situation.

Despite Ireland's prowess at winning global internet investments, local firms are out in the cold because of poor broadband infrastructure and few of them are trading online. And why would they if up until now there had been no leadership at State level aimed at making Ireland a digital leader.

The result: €3bn is spent online every year by Irish consumers and 70pc of this flows out of the country to overseas websites. Less than 70pc of Irish firms have websites, and of these only 22pc are capable of e-commerce. This is 2012, not 1999. Again, Bravo.

Ireland has competition. Today UK Chancellor George Osborne stated clearly that he wants to make the UK the technology centre of Europe. The UK has the advantage of a strong domestic economy which according to Boston Consulting Group is the most internet-dependent economy in the world. Globally the interent economy will be worth US$4.2 trillion by 2016, we need to move fast if we want a share of this. Let's be honest, over the past decade we've barely laid the groundwork. Infrastructure is key.

Ireland would be wise to hold on to the vast success it has had attracting global tech investment and move away from being a two-speed digital economy. Superfast broadband everywhere will lift all boats.

Last summer Google chairman Eric Schmidt was in Dublin and was scathing about the broadband mess Ireland found itself in. Schmidt said at the time: "You are behind on fibre to the home and you guys are late with respect to 4G rollout. France, Germany and the UK are already ahead of Ireland with respect to citizens and businesses connected to the internet. You just need to do it.

“There are many things that the Government can do, but the thing is it is hard to work with telecoms providers to get more broadband. But these are the roads of the future. There are very few things that are better use of your money that serves the citizens of your country."
The roads of the future - where are they?

As Eircom - the incumbent operator which should be the jewel in Ireland's infrastructure crown - slides towards examinership today, there's a poignancy about what Minister Rabbitte told students at a UCC conferring ceremony in terms of his conviction that this infrastructure will be key to their employability in the coming years.

If I was to sum up the last decade in terms of the digital imperative of 'Ireland Inc' it has to be two words 'errant stupidity.'

While you had excellent agencies like IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland bringing in global giants like Google and entrepreneurs trying to build businesses, official Ireland was drunk on property booms, the media didn't write about geeks and students were dissuaded from taking up engineering or technology courses. Now we have a skills shortage at a time of high unemployment. Well done official Ireland, you failed.

During the past decade Minister after Minister poo-pooed international league tables showing the divide that was emerging between Ireland and other OECD countries in terms of broadband quality and quantity. Often they cited our 'unique geography' as an excuse. It wasn't good enough, even they knew it.

In 1999 the State made €7bn out of the IPO of Eircom, which at the time was debt-free. Within weeks investors, mostly ordinary people, were burned. In 1999, Eircom had 14,000 employees. Imagine what could have been done with €7bn in terms of infrastructure today.

13 years later today Eircom is to apply to the courts to enter examinership. It has about 5,000 employees and is €3.7bn in debt. Did I mention that this should be the jewel in the infrastructure crown? Oh yeah, and it had seven owners in 13 years. Bravo.
So where do we go from here

At the UCC conferring ceremony Minister Rabbitte outlined what has long been needed - the cooperation of a range of telecoms companies on a three year strategy.

The process is going to involve two phases - the telecoms industry will be freed up to accelerate their own investment plans and roll out faster internet over fibre, cable, wireless and mobile technologies.

The second phase will see the Government be prepared to invest where the market is likely to fail to ensure superfast broadband in every corner of the country.

Rabbitte's core project - the plan to put industrial strength 100Mbps broadband into over 650 schools could be a key demand aggregator in this respect.

“Firstly, during April the Cabinet will consider industry's recommendations on a range of areas where private sector investment needs to be facilitated.

“My Department has pulled all these ideas together by listening to the companies whose CEOs have participated in a Next Generation Broadband Task Force, which has been meeting since June last year under my chairmanship and which has now completed its work.

“I have been very encouraged by the investment plans I have heard about, from mobile companies who can't wait to take advantage of new mobile spectrum we are about to auction, from the main cable player which is rolling out faster speed products in many urban areas and from the "traditional' telecoms companies who see great potential for fibre roll-out.

“In the Task Force there has been a great deal of straight talking about what needs to be done by the State so as to facilitate speedy private sector investment.

“We have agreed targets - the numbers of consumers and businesses that the companies aim to meet. In return, we have clarified what can be done to stimulate demand for new services and to remove planning and other barriers that delay the build out of telecoms networks.

“We have also sought to find a consensus view about the best use of Ireland's spectrum and teased out the role of state companies that have large land holdings and extensive infrastructure in facilitating broadband build out," Rabbitte told the graduating students.

Appalling mistakes as regards to Ireland domestic digital economy have been allowed to occur over the past decade.

At a time of financial turmoil some of those graduating students Rabbitte spoke to today may be forced to emigrate, while those with the right skills will surely be snapped up by multinational companies and start-ups hungry for their abilities.

It is poignant to think, however, how self-sufficient many indigenous firms could be today if a decade ago the country had stayed the course in creating a knowledge economy and society, how e-commerce and entrepreneurship may have saved companies and jobs sooner and opened up more international opportunities.

Well the game isn't over, a turning point is approaching and with a sensible grasp of the digital imperative Rabbitte may be proven right - how broadband rollout will be the single-most investment needed to secure jobs in Ireland.

John Kennedy

sean2012

bull**** i wouldn't believe anything any politician says there all just telling you what you want to hear, in fact they haven't invested anything and they sold of the state owned mans company enet and claimed that they had created 500 new jobs pricks

jmcc

Wonder if the technology journalists will be cheering on Rabbitte and claiming that he's the smartest and most clueful politician like they said of Sh!te Sherlock and Eamon Ryan and all the rest of them?

Regards...jmcc

bealtine

bealtine wrote: »

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte TD has clearly grasped a point that his predecessors in times of plenty failed to. He said today that the nationwide rollout of fast broadband over the next three years will be the single-most important investment needed to secure future jobs in the local economy.

I could wallpaper my house with the column-inches I've filed trying to make this very point as regulatory bungling, sweating of assets and poor investment decisions frustrated an already bad situation.

I think John just got a new roll of wallpaper with the "rollout" of the NBS, seems it's just a satellite excuse and the Dept is just pimping QSAT, what a crock that is.

So this Minister will do nothing either...

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

...they sold of the state owned mans company enet...

e|net was never state owned, and hasn't been sold.

sean2012

enet was state owned and was sold

sean2012

we dont even need a minister for communications none of the isp's are state owned what does pat rabbitte know anyway he has no qualifications in communications he studied english in college

sean2012

i dont know if enet the company was state owned but they own all of the states metropolitan access network now it was sold to them and they manage it.

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

enet was state owned and was sold

e|net was never state owned, and hasn't been sold.

sean2012 wrote: »

i dont know if enet the company was state owned but they own all of the states metropolitan access network now it was sold to them and they manage it.

e|net doesn't own the metropolitan area networks. The networks weren't sold to them. They do manage the networks.

It's an exercise in total and utter futility ranting about something if you don't know anything about it.

sean2012

hey oscarBravo or WestNet CEO Paul Cunnane you moran i work in the industry aswel why dont you ask them, they took ownership at the start of the year end off

thegills

The MANs belong to the Local Authoritys and the State. enet is a private company with a license to manage the MANs. Hope this clears that up.

thegills

The MANs belong to the Local Authoritys and the State. enet is a private company with a license to manage the MANs. Hope this clears that up.

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

hey oscarBravo or WestNet CEO Paul Cunnane you moran...

Charming.

...i work in the industry aswel...

Do you? I have no idea who you are.

...why dont you ask them...

They are both a customer and a supplier of mine. I've been dealing with them in various capacities for several years now. I have a fair idea of the role they play in the industry.

If you know something I don't, feel free to share it.

...they took ownership at the start of the year end off

Who took ownership of what?

sean2012

i read on siliconrepublic.com that enet took ownership fine geal sold them at the start of the year

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

i read on siliconrepublic.com that enet took ownership fine geal sold them at the start of the year

Got a link?

sean2012

WestNet dont do fibre
wireless 35euro a month for a 1mb connection is a joke

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

WestNet dont do fibre

...and your point is...?

thegills

Any carrier can offer fibre. That's the idea of the MANs

Avns1s

oscarBravo wrote: »

...and your point is...?

His point is that he cant find a link to substantiate the assertions about e|net, which in all fairness, is hardly surprising!! :)

sean2012

isp's have to pay rent to enet to use there mans, just like board gais and eireann road have there own mans any one that uses there mans pays rent to them

oscarBravo

sean2012 wrote: »

isp's have to pay rent to enet to use there mans, just like board gais and eireann road have there own mans any one that uses there mans pays rent to them

They're not their MANs, that's been explained to you already. ISPs pay them for managed services.

Bord Gais and IE don't have MANs.

Are you sure you work in the industry? You don't seem to know anything about it.

sean2012

right i read on silicon republic that enet took ownership i was wrong id say
i cant find the link it was listed with creation of 500 new jobs in the industry

The MANs are publicly owned, while allowing all telecommunication operators open access to the networks

Bord Gais and IE do have private MANs dont be stuped i trained with lads that work for them
Aurora Telecom, a division of Bord Gáis Networks, is a carrier-neutral operator specialising in Dark Fibre services for both Telecommunications Carriers

whats been explained to me

core networks
metropolitan networks
access networks


"ISPs pay them for managed services" that applys to wireless not fixed line

jbkenn

sean2012, heads up here for you, when oscarBravo and thegills post they post from knowledge and experience of the industry.

sean2012 wrote: »

right i read on silicon republic that enet took ownership i was wrong id say
i cant find the link it was listed with creation of 500 new jobs in the industry

Silicon Republic regurgitate press release's, nothing more, nothing less

The MANs are publicly owned, while allowing all telecommunication operators open access to the networks

True, just not owned by e|net. Google is your friend.

Bord Gais and IE do have private MANs dont be stuped i trained with lads that work for them

Ah, no they do not, I really don't care who you trained with, they are talking through their ar$e, MAN, Metropolitan Area Network, there might be a clue there for you.

Aurora Telecom, a division of Bord Gáis Networks, is a carrier-neutral operator specialising in Dark Fibre services for both Telecommunications Carriers


whats been explained to me

core networks
metropolitan networks
access networks

For a laugh, ring them up and ask for a quote for say 100Mb I.P. transit from Sneem to Dublin, and see how you get on.

"ISPs pay them for managed services" that applys to wireless not fixed line

That a fact?.

You are out of your depth here, quit while you are ahead.

sean2012

the topic here is building a fu@king network be it a isp like eircom upc or any contracting company that builds the network some idiot from mayo robbing people for 35 euro a month for 1mg on a 2g wireless network doesn't count

oscarBravo

I have no idea what the last post meant. Maybe if you got someone to type it out again in English it might help. For bonus points, find someone who actually does work in the industry, then hopefully they can correct your more embarrassing misconceptions while they're at it.

As for the topic at hand, if you have anything to contribute beyond misinformed bile, I'm all ears.

bealtine

sean2012 wrote: »

i read on siliconrepublic.com that enet took ownership fine geal sold them at the start of the year

That's simply not true to the best of my knowledge.
I'd prefer if you kept this thread on topic and not go off half cocked on subjects you seem to know nothing about.

This is not just some random forum, it is a forum where people from the telecoms industry
or are interested in the industry talk about things of interest.
That includes some people from enet for instance...

sean2012

whats so hard to understand
about this
"the topic here is building a fast network be it a isp like eircom upc or any contracting company that builds the network some idiot from mayo robbing people for 35 euro a month for 1mg on a 2g wireless network doesn't count"

for ex sample
if the government where to build a new road from kerry to derry it would be a investment not a service on it, thats the difference

if your service was on it it would be a tractor and trailor taxi service your a sore losser il be payin you a visit

cgarvey

sean2012 temporarily banned