Ireland one of three EU states with no 4G network

Nolars

Any surprise?

"Ireland is one just three states in the European Union that has yet to introduce 4G mobile services to customers."

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0725/464607-eu-4g-network/

watty

But 4G is for Rich Business users on the Road. See Vodafone Germany.

It's not a Rural Broadband solution.

bealtine

Nolars wrote: »

Any surprise?

In a funny way it's great, we don't have to listen to utter nonsense coming from the marketing bunnies in the mobile telcos...promises of 180Mb/s and other total BS.

As an aside does anybody find the slogan for 4GEE highly amusing?

Nolars

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/33623-75pc-of-europeans-cant/

"Three out of every four people living in the EU can’t access 4G/LTE mobile connections in their hometowns, and virtually no rural area has 4G"

watty

The Telcos see it as a lucrative replacement for Public WiFi Hotspots. Hence they will concentrate on Urban areas. It offers no significant advantage in Rural areas over 3G anyway, especially on 800 or 900 MHz with large cells.

It's only at 1.8GHz to 3.5GHz on 20MHz channels at less than 500m range that it can offer significantly better speeds.

Actually hasn't O2 just ditched an agreement in the UK to use Fon/BT WiFi for their customers?

Capt'n Midnight

Just remember the customer ends up paying for it. And no doubt those companies are already charging more to cover the €481.7m they have already paid up front.




http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/30238-comreg-reveals-4g-auction-r

The winning bidders will pay €854.6m for the spectrum rights, including €481.7m in up-front fees along with annual spectrum usage fees totalling €372.9m paid in instalments until July 2030.
...
The largest allocation of spectrum went to Vodafone, which, having already invested €900m in its Irish network so far, plans to invest €500m in the next five years.

watty

So €1.4 Billion just by one operator, more 50% of users/time the performance not broadband and poor national coverage. Average speed 3Mbps if all 4G. So 50% of people would not get 3MBps. OTH €1.4B on Fibre gives a minimum speed of 30Mbps if FTTC and 200Mbps if FTTH and no real need for a cap (or > 200GByte, Mobile needs a 10G Byte cap to avoid serious congestion).

We do need Mobile, but only for people actually Mobile as a complement to real Broadband.

To make a profit 4G has to be MUCH more expensive than 3G or real broadband.

Fogmatic

3G would be nice round here