Disabled users of internet in Ireland, Cost to minority group?

Paddy20

Just a short note. I am disabled and a new internet user. My telephone rental is paid for by the state. Should there not be a special rate i.e. online charge for people in my position. As there already exists some concessions from the state for my telephone needs and use of same?. Any comments??. paddymac.

dahamsta

Your poll was in a bad way Paddy20, I've taken the liberty of reposting it on your behalf. Apologies for the intrusion.

I voted Yes by the way. The problem as I see it is a more general one, in that the Internet worldwide is not seen as an essential service, like the telephone, water, roads and waste disposal. This is the case worldwide, and demonstrates itself most currently in the calls for the regulation of cable Internet services in the United States. Certain groups want it regulated, just like cable TV, and other groups - most obviously the cable companies - wish to go ahead with self-regulation. The United States should take heed of previous screwups in this regard though, such as the TDMA/CDMA wireless "self-regulation", which left users on disparate cellular networks unable to roam in their own country.

I apologise for making this issue a bit more complex that you might have wished it to be, but the hypocrisy of government on these issues gets up my nose. On the one hand, we have clever guys like Commissioner Erkii Liikanen saying that we should all have access to broadband services, while on the other we see countries like Ireland being very noticably being left behind, with both the EU and our own Government unable to understand the seriousness of it all. A decision should be made at the highest level -- either the Internet should be seen as an essential service and regulated heavily, or the political bodies should step off and let the comms companies get on with it.

I feel sure you can guess which side of the fence I fall on.

adam

Boston

Why, give me one good reason why the disabled over somebody else.

1) might be that you might have to work from home, but many people now adays have to work from home, be it the cost of office space or family situation or just the type of job they do.

dahamsta

In some cases, the disabled have to do /everything/ from home Boston. Able-bodied people can walk down to the mailbox with letters, pop to the shops for food and other items, drop into the bookshop for a bit of light reading, hop into the car and go to work. Why should the disabled not have the same abilities as us?

adam

chernobyl

This should not even be an issue, FRIACO should exist, enough said.

dahamsta

This should not even be an issue, FRIACO should exist, enough said.

Of course FRIACO should exist chernobyl, but that's not what Paddy20 is saying. Let's address the question he's asking - whether the disabled should have their Internet connectivity charges discounted.

adam