UK : Rural broadband rollout: Taxpayers being 'ripped off', say MPs

bealtine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24227096

clohamon

bealtine wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24227096

A hopeless scheme; a caricature of civil service bungling.

The chair of the UK PAC committee is the formidable Margaret Hodge who made short work of Sir Humphrey at one of the committee meetings.

Sir Jonathan Stephens: The critical point here, if I may, is the opening part of paragraph 4, which recognises that each of these elements and limbs “would not be sufficient alone”. That is why we set out all the protections in figure 6—the 14 different protections. We did seek to promote competition in the framework contract. We worked very hard to do so. We worked closely with Fujitsu—

Chair [Margaret Hodge]: And you failed. Please don’t keep repeating the same stuff. It is so irritating, because we are all pretty tired and hot, and it would be really good to get answers. You failed. You can’t even say that.

The sad part is that the EU uses the BDUK scheme as an example for other State Aid schemes (of which our own NBP is one) to follow.

clohamon

bealtine wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24227096

BTW did you notice the sidebar in that BBC report.

Broadband speeds around Europe

• Denmark plans to have 100 megabits per second to all by 2020
• Estonia wants 100Mbps for everyone by 2015
• France plans almost universal coverage at 100Mbps by 2020
• Germany expects to have around 70% coverage at 50Mbps by 2014
• Greece wants 100% of citizens to have access to 30Mbps by 2020
• Ireland plans 100Mbps for all by 2020
• Italy wants to see half of its citizens have access to 100Mbps by 2020
• The UK's target is 90% coverage by 2017 but at the lower speed of 24Mbps

I wonder if that comes from an official source.

Nolars

clohamon wrote: »

BTW did you notice the sidebar in that BBC report.



I wonder if that comes from an official source.

From here

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/files/PageTurning/NationalBroadbandPlan/index.html

watty

Even with the shortcomings and nonsense it's infinitely better than here because our McHumphrey or FitzHumprey is determined that we will get nothing at all and STILL rip off the tax payers of Ireland and Europe.

bealtine

clohamon wrote: »

BTW did you notice the sidebar in that BBC report.



I wonder if that comes from an official source.

The DECNR advisers are "on tour" at this time spouting their usual crap, seemingly 100Mb/s is in reality 7Mb/s at least thats what Aidan Ryan says is acceptable for 100Mb/s

watty

My 8Mbps is typically never less than 7.5 at peak times

bealtine

watty wrote: »

My 8Mbps is typically never less than 7.5 at peak times

Well yes but that's a bit different:)

He was saying that 7Mb/s over a 100Mb/s supply is acceptable...

clohamon

Nolars wrote: »

From here

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/files/PageTurning/NationalBroadbandPlan/index.html

Nolars, I can't find any reference to 100Mb/s for all.

It's hard to believe DCENR would be that stupid; but then again........

watty

bealtine wrote: »

Well yes but that's a bit different:)

He was saying that 7Mb/s over a 100Mb/s supply is acceptable...

My point.

That is stupidity. I'm only on fixed Wireless too.

Calling something 100Mbps that mostly does 7Mbps is lying.

8Mbps that is near 8Mbps at 3am and never worse than 7Mbps at peak time is simply acceptable congestion on package sold as contented.

100Mps at 7Mbps implies about 500:1 contention. Only Satellite with no speed throttling (which no-one does any more, that would be 1 user only connected!) and mobile exhibit such variation.

Such a system is either badly engineered (users should be limited to 7.5Mbps) or isn't actually broadband at all.

bealtine

watty wrote: »

Such a system is either badly engineered (users should be limited to 7.5Mbps) or isn't actually broadband at all.

Yes but this guy is the "architect" of the NGA and an adviser to government on issues to do with communications and badly engineered is, the in my opinion, the correct description

watty

Are his qualifications and experience purely in Mobile Networks Marketing?

bealtine

watty wrote: »

Are his qualifications and experience purely in Mobile Networks Marketing?

He's an expert ok...well he's called an expert but his pronouncements on technology are frankly quite dubious, he hasn't a clue how mobile works and his knowledge of other areas is equally lacking

clohamon

bealtine wrote: »

The DECNR advisers are "on tour" at this time spouting their usual crap, seemingly 100Mb/s is in reality 7Mb/s at least thats what Aidan Ryan says is acceptable for 100Mb/s

What does "on tour" mean ?