Forfas Annual Report

timod

Forfas Annual Report
Published on Wednesday

On Pages 31 to 32

Telecommunications
In recent years, the Government has focused strongly on addressing key telecommunications bottlenecks and providing infrastructure to areas where the market is not meeting the needs of businesses quickly.

During 2001, Forfás continued to benchmark the competitiveness of the telecomm market and work with Government Departments on the implementation of a number of key initiatives. Forfás’ Telecommunications Benchmarking Reports have noted that while the competitiveness of telecommunications for the enterprise sector has improved significantly over the past two years, key weaknesses remain, particularly for broadband leased line and mobile services.

Forfás, in consultation with key stakeholders, revised its benchmarking process in 2001 to reflect recent technological and market developments, including the strong acceleration in the adoption of broadband technologies internationally.

The process going forward will specifically benchmark the price, quality, availability, and adoption of broadband telecommunications services relative to leading and competitor countries.

A widening broadband competitiveness gap has already been identified. Other countries have moved ahead quickly in the provision of broadband services over the existing copper telephone networks at very competitive prices. Such services
were launched in Ireland in early 2002 at prices above those in the lead countries. Similarly, broadband is readily provided on cable networks in leading countries, but has yet to happen on a wide basis in Ireland.

In 2001, Forfás completed a review of the broadband needs of industry and enterprise in the regions. The organisation worked with the Department of Public Enterprise to develop a call for proposals under the NDP to specifically address the
identified gaps through public private partnership investment in physical infrastructure and through the promotion of further competition. This work recommended the allocation of NDP funding on the deployment of optical
fibre backbone infrastructure and broadband points of presence, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technologies to enable provision of broadband on copper networks and the
provision of ducting by local authorities in key towns for rental to telecommunications operators.

Forfás was also a member of the Telecommunications Working Group, established by the Cross-Departmental Team on Infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships in
September 2001, to assess key broadband telecommunications priorities and to determine how best these could be met. In March 2002, the Government approved the strategy submitted by the cross-departmental team. This will accelerate competitive broadband rollout in an initial 19 towns and will be extended to an additional 48
towns within three years.

Forfás and the development agencies will continue to assess progress in addressing the telecommunications needs of the enterprise base in remaining towns, and work with Government, local authorities, telecommunications operators and firms in the allocation of future rounds of funding.

Forfás also reviewed policy and regulatory developments in the telecommunications market since the publication of the Forfás report Broadband Telecommunications Investment in Ireland, in March 1998 and the subsequent liberalisation of
the market. The update report entitled Broadband Investment in Ireland – Review of Progress and Key Policy Requirements notes that, while significant progress has been achieved, a number of long-standing critical issues require action in relation to the cost, quality and availability of advanced broadband telecomm services for business.

The downturn in the world economy and the technology markets in 2001 have had a significant effect on investment in broadband infrastructure and services in Ireland.

Key issues include the following:

• the establishment of a strong and effective, procompetitive/pro-consumer regulatory regime following the enactment of the Communications Act 2002 and quick
  transposition of outstanding EU Directives;
  
• the unbundling of the local loop, which has occurred in a number of other countries over the past two to three years, but has yet to be widely implemented in the Irish market;
  
• the introduction of flat rate narrowband internet access charges;
  
• the separation of Eircom’s network and retail businesses to provide a wholesale network accessible to all operators;
  
• the deployment of regional broadband infrastructures and services through the extension of open-access, diverse, resilient and advanced broadband and dark fibre
  backbone infrastructures throughout Ireland and the development of competitive local access infrastructures for the provision of broadband services;
  
• the introduction of new provisions to ensure that the planning guidelines for road opening are consistent and fair, that infrastructure sharing is encouraged, and, where technically feasible, that provision be made for the bundling of ducting for telecommunications with other infrastructures.

Why isn't the government listening to its advisors?

timod

BTW, an interesting point to note... Rory Ardagh a director of LEAP is a member of the National Competitiveness Council

aidan_dunne

Originally posted by timod
Why isn't the government listening to its advisors?

Exactly. What's the point in having government advisors in the first place if the government isn't going to listen to them?

It seems to me that they only hear what they want to hear. Funnily enough, if Forfas was advising the government to go back to carrier pigeon and telegraph, I bet they probably would listen to them then.

Christ, this country is so backward and f**ked up! :mad:

Delphi91

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
...What's the point in having government advisors in the first place if the government isn't going to listen to them?
...

Probably explains why Charlie McCreevy has turned down the help of some economic advisors. They're gonna tell him he's f****d the place up by spending like there's no tomorrow and now we're up s**t creek with no sign of a paddle.

Any telecoms advisor would tell the Gov the exact same thing. But they don't wanna hear that 'cos it would mean that they aren't the saviours of the world that they claim to be.

"A lot done, a lot more to do" - don't make me laugh............


Mike

aidan_dunne

Originally posted by Delphi91
"A lot done, a lot more to do" - don't make me laugh............

That should be, "A lot f**ked up, a lot more to f**k up!"

Government gob$hites! :mad:

Hannibal_12

They're isolating themselves from the harsh reality that has been created thanks to their incompetence. It roughly analogous to hiding under a pile of coats while there is an exam going on and hoping everything will be fine when you come out.
To be honest I dont hold many expectations as to the future of broadband in this country despite the wonderful work of IOFFl, I believe ultimately Irish backwardness and government ignorance/apathy will impede our progress and keep us firmly entrenched in the 20th century with regard to communications and many other aspects as well.

rymus

Originally posted by aidan_dunne


That should be, "A lot f**ked up, a lot more to f**k up!"

or perhaps

A lot done? A lot more to do!