The 'new' broadband plan

rymus

For those of you that havent already seen it, this article is in today's Echo...

Speedy internet access at last

The pace of technological change is mind boggling. Today's era of faster communications and a wealth of information at our fingertips could not have been imagined 50 years ago. The internet has revolutionised the way we do business and reached into the heart of urban and rural communities all over the country. It is, of course, to be welcomed that nearly every county will have high-speed internet access by the end of the year under a €500 million technology plan being unveiled by the government. Some 15 projects will herald huge development in the country's broadband infrastructure.

At the moment, only 200,000 people - most of them living in the east coast region - have high-speed internet access. Now we can expect to see increased broadband coverage giving one million people improved access. The plan is expected to involve an investment of €110 million by the government and a further €400 million by private firms and local councils. Forty towns, including key Munster towns, will be involved in the plan. IBEC, the business organisation, has maintained for some time that broadband coverage is vital if regional and rural areas are to reap the benefits already available in other EU countries.

It is true, of course, that industry will not be attracted into peripheral counties if companies cannot gain access to high-speed communications systems.

All 15 projects are set to be completed by the end of this year. This all spells good news for the county.

Lets just hope that this isint another instance of the government throwing X million quid at a problem in the hope that it will go away.

EvilGeorge

Ay, just have to wait and see.

Typedef

The government is living in a world of fantasy "cloud cookoo land" to use the Dail vernacular, if it thinks that private firms will volunteer (out of the kindness of their souls and for the good of the nation) ?400 million so that Ireland can 'finally' get broadband.

The government created the Frankenstein eircom, a virtual monopoly in the telco market in the Republic and in doing so negated the impetus of a state agency to supply services to it's citizens, credit where credit is due. The TD's in dial eireann all have isdn access to the internet don' t you know, but feel any obligation to get up off of their Dial seats and create a more fluidic telco market, one not dominated by former semi-state agencies, you must be living in "cloud cookoo land" if you think that will happen.

If business was so ready to fork over ?400 million why hasn't it done so already? It needed the government money or it couldn't provide the infrastructure? Nope, guess again. Ahh wait, the government monopolised the telco market and then made it's semi-state agency into a business and once it became a business and didn't have to do as the government said, the government decide to try and tell that busniess to play nice with the other telco's.

Hmm what's wrong with this picture?
<<dang typos>>

SkepticOne

Internet access options in Dublin: 56K dial-up or ISDN.

Internet access options in Cork: 56K dial-up or ISDN

Internet access options in Galway: 56K dial-up or ISDN.

Which country's east coast are they talking about? Certainly not Irelands.

The projects outlined in the article will not result in more options available to the ordinary consumer.

This is an example of Goverment propaganda swallowed without question by the press. I think the reason it worked is because they were able to play on the Dublin vs Rest of Country angle.

dahamsta

That's a particularly badly informed and/or written article. Either the author has very little understanding of the issues at hand, or s/he's just a bad writer. I don't care what you say about Karlin Lillington, at least she makes a bloody effort.

adam

lynchie

At the moment, only 200,000 people - most of them living in the east coast region - have high-speed internet access. Now we can expect to see increased broadband coverage giving one million people improved access. The plan is expected to involve an investment of €110 million by the government and a further €400 million by private firms and local councils. Forty towns, including key Munster towns, will be involved in the plan. IBEC, the business organisation, has maintained for some time that broadband coverage is vital if regional and rural areas are to reap the benefits already available in other EU countries.

Who are these 200,000?? Those of us working in companies that have leased lines or maybe those with NTL's Cable Internet package?? It defnitely aint the latter anyway!! Or have Slowcom actually managed to recruit in 200,000 people with their Hi-Speed ISDN package??

SkepticOne

Originally posted by lynchie
Tho are these 200,000?? Those of us working in companies that have leased lines or maybe those with NTL's Cable Internet package?? It defnitely aint the latter anyway!! Or have Slowcom actually managed to recruit in 200,000 people with their Hi-Speed ISDN package??

I live in Dublin. About 50 yards down the road there's a section of Esat's fibre ring. Might as well be in Outer Mongolia. Why? Because I would need a leased line to connect to it.

In fact the government could save a lot of money by digging up the roads in Mongolia. Much cheaper labour there. They needn't use optical fibre either. If no one's going to use it they may as well use yak intestine. Major savings there.

Where did the 200,000 figure come from? Well, it might be the number of homes covered by ADSL enabled exchanges in Dublin but who can't get it right now because of Eircom's wholesale pricing and who won't be able to get it when it comes out because Eircom will charge three times what it is available for in the rest of Europe.

There was another thread on this subject a few days ago but I can't find it.

dahamsta

I live in Dublin. About 50 yards down the road there's a section of Esat's fibre ring. Might as well be in Outer Mongolia. Why? Because I would need a leased line to connect to it.

Actually, you'd need a substantial leased line to connect to it. Esat Business won't connect small leased lines to their fibre.

Where did the 200,000 figure come from?

Mostly leased lines. It's like I've been saying, the Irish Government thinks that broadband and leased lines are the same thing. In actuality, they are correct - the standard is currently speeds above 128k - but in reality we all know that the term broadband has come to mean something entirely different.

As someone else pointed out, if the government continues to think this way, they're going to be doling out a hell of a lot more money than they think. One million leased lines in a country with the population of Ireland? That's fibre to the kerb, that is.

adam

SkepticOne

Found it.
IT: Telecoms capacity upgrade is planned
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40266

Irish Times article here.

Again the 200,000 figure is mentioned.

About 20 "metro rings" are to be provided around key towns which are earmarked for industrial development. Access to broadband communications will rise from the current figure of about 200,000 customers in the Republic, to about one million.

Typedef

About 20 "metro rings" are to be provided around key towns which are earmarked for industrial development. Access to broadband communications will rise from the current figure of about 200,000 customers in the Republic, to about one million.

There is a term that covers this kind of assertion, the term is "PIE IN THE SKY". Yeah that'll be really great won't it, then Ireland will be the 'internet hub' some big brother government official was ranting about a few months ago won't it? Just like the world would be a safe place for democracy once eircom saw sense and gave away their profitable dial-up business for uncapped adsl access. That was going to happen too remember? God bless the government.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by Typedef
If business was so ready to fork over ?400 million why hasn't done so already? It needed the government money or it couldn't provide the infrastructure? Nope, guess again. Ahh wait, the government monopolised the telco market and then made it's semi-state agency into a business and once it became a business and didn't have to do as the government said, the government decide to try and tell that busniess to play nice with the other telco's.

Hmm what's wrong with this picture?

The Government have created a bottomless pit and are now proceeding to throw taxpayers' money down into it.

Dublin is full of these fibre rings that are now being built around the country. Cork has several. Dublin is also home to the probably the most expensive ADSL in the world. A service 'aimed at businesses' only because of its price. In reality it falls into the bottom end of home offerings in other countries at a fraction of the cost.

Once these 'metro rings' are built, there is no requirement on any of the companies to link up to small businesses. Leased lines in this country are already over priced compared to other countries and greater delays are involved.

I believe part of the infrastructure plan is to pay Esat to install DSL in some exchanges on the West Coast. Again, I could be wrong, but I don't see any requirement as to what kind of DSL or at what price it should be offered.

The Government seems to be suffering from some sort of 'last mile' blindness. I wonder where they cought it.

timod

That report is a bloody disgrace.

What's even worse is that it's from the editorial staff of the paper, so no single reporter can be blamed. The Evening Echo has a fairly big circulation in Cork and Limerick, so it's important to highlight the inaccuarcies.

I'm going to write a letter to the editor.

The address for the rest of you if you wish to do the same.

The Editor
Evening Echo,
Acadamy Street,
Cork.

DeVore

how many user of the internet are there in Ireland.... the biggest number I've seen is 400,000 so does that mean that half of Ireland is now on broadband? woot thats better then most of Europe...

The report is arse and the journalism is press-release reheats.
It must be an election year.

DeV.

timod

Originally posted by timod

I'm going to write a letter to the editor.

.... And you can imagine my surprise, when one month later, I met somebody who said they say my letter!

It was printed on the 9th of February, and I don't know how I missed it until now.

Anyway, here's a scan of it. They edited some of it but overall it's pretty much what I said.

Tim

<edit> The file upload thing doesn't work....

Try here:
http://ocean.ucc.ie/02/tjod1/echo.gif

mike65

You can take a high speed horse to water but you cant make it fork out €99 a month...

jbkenn

In last weeks Limerick Post (Free Newspaper) there was an article on Shannon Broadband Ltd. ( A consortium of Limerick Corp., Limerick Co. Co. and Shannon Developement) and how they are about to spend €4.5 Million on a metropolitan fibre ring around Limerick and Shannon. Great says I, i'll ring up and see what this is about. I ring Limerick Corp. and they dont know what I am talking about, so I ring Shannon Dev. and am given the name of the person heading up the project, I happen to know this person and he takes my call. The bottom line is their brief is to lay a fibre ring around the city and Shannon and make it available to any Telco that wants to use it, the main purpose of this plan seems to be to prevent the various Telco's digging up seperate trenches laying their cable only.
No they do not have any brief on negotiating access to this marvellous feat of civil engineering that would be a matter for the Telcos Thanked him for his time, and said to myself "nother load of B*ll*x"
P.S. for those outside the Mid-West region Shannon Dev are the State Agency charged with Industrial and Tourism Developement in the region, and have the proud distinction of building a £3.5 Million pub which they had to close, cos it was reportedly losing £1500 a week

jbkenn

Doodee

Yee all know the situation wiv teh L.C papers atm??

If yee dont then I'll tell yee
asfar as i know any country in the EU must purchase services off teh cheapest supplier regardless of their location, this is included for Government materials.
Our L.C papers are being printed by two English companies, just like the Cocked up highways that where ment to be here linking the 5 major cities by 2005 will be done by French Contractors as the Irish Road workers have taken EU money and not done a thing,
The same may happen wiv broadband and maybe this is what the government are aiming at.If there is a seperate Backbone that Eircom cant get their greedy fingers on it may incouage other companies within the EU to use these to provide Broadband.Also, If i interpreted it correctly they may be funding for Wans if they apply to the Governemnt in acordance wiv this new scheme, that could provide all the major wans wiv a node which would be well appreciated.Then again, the governemnt could be wasting tax payers money again, but as was said, teh elections are coming up soon.

jmcc

Originally posted by dahamsta

Where did the 200,000 figure come from?

Mostly leased lines. It's like I've been saying, the Irish Government thinks that broadband and leased lines are the same thing. In actuality, they are correct - the standard is currently speeds above 128k - but in reality we all know that the term broadband has come to mean something entirely different.
[/b]

This figure sounds more like a cumulative value for the number of people working for companies with leased lines. It does not actually sound like the number of people with broadband. I've been working on identifying IP ranges used by companies in Ireland and it is not that wide a range.

The article itself looks like a rehash of a press release with bland generalities to fill the spaces. Now do you understand what I mean by bubble technology journalism Adam?

Regards...jmcc

BuffyBot

Originally posted by jmcc

The article itself looks like a rehash of a press release with bland generalities to fill the spaces.

and it's the worst kind....a lazy patching together of hazy half facts and blatant untruths....


Grrr @ that kind of reporting

timod

Originally posted by jmcc


This figure sounds more like a cumulative value for the number of people working for companies with leased lines. It does not actually sound like the number of people with broadband. I've been working on identifying IP ranges used by companies in Ireland and it is not that wide a range.

Don't forget the Universities and colleges. Probabably more than 100,000 out of this 200,000 could be accounted with that...

Dustaz

well played Tim. Nice letter.

BoneCollector

next year, next week, soon, within the year, end of....?
i have beeing hearing this for the past 6 years.

Get real!