Funding for Wireless Access trials

crawler

From the Indo....

THE Department for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is to explore the use of new wireless technologies for the delivery of broadband access to the internet.


Minister Dermot Ahern will accept proposals for pilot trials of wireless local access network (LAN) from technology and communications companies up to August 30 and the trials will run for a year.


According to the Department, successful groups will be given funding to explore and demonstrate the potential for deploying the technology. "Wireless technology has expanded and developed and there is no reason why wireless access to the internet cannot be utilised in addition to a fibre optic or other cable system," Mr Ahern said

phoenix2181

eh?..........anyone heard of leap?.......they are already doin it

ando

and trials will run for a year

my god, a whole year trialling something that is already public ??? AND it is'nt even a new technology. It would be different if they were spending a year on trialling Vdsl or Sdsl etc, but good damn, what the hell are they upto ?

crawler

Dunno - I'm confused...I thought I was reading a back issue of the Indo or that Unison had made a boo boo! Seemingly not though.....

Try to really confuse them - ask can you trial 802.11a at high power

Dangger

Its a call out to those of us who may be interested in receiving funding for service provision. I don't see a problem with it, in fact I welcome it.

ando

hey I just noticed I'm over 500 posts

I'm now officially a 'freak'

Sorry, its totally OT

crawler

Congrats on "freak" status ando!! - your on the way to "no Life"

In reading it again - I think they do actually mean it in terms of funding and not that they have just discovered wireless technology...I think it just reads badly.

Actually - I'm going to look into it.......

Fallschirmjager

well -- yes it s good -- but jesus a trial...why not just ask..let me think who..oh YEAH -- ANYONE ELSE ON THE ****ING PLANET to see if it works...why dont they just give the spare licenses to companies who want to try and let them get on with it..

now if i remember correctly (and if i dont i am sure to get a bollocking on these pages) some very disreputable companies who i shall not mention have got licenses and are refusing to use them..why not

anyone care to corret me?

Dangger

Well yes the technology may work, but what about business models, roll out plans projected coverage, take up? Trials will allow a *protected* test phase, in times of financial hardship for companies who may be intersted.

crawler

It reads much much better here :-

http://www.marine.gov.ie/display.asp?type=A4B990E1B2BCED2937C81B2BCE5A011A61B2BCE54E8E3C1B2BCE569BA0A1B2BCE|325A25|172E57


Also details here on the cash available etc...€300k is not much but it's something.

crawler

Sorry this link does not work my fault....

If you go to http://www.marine.gov.ie

Then Click on "communications" then "WLAN trials"

Sorry about that!

Fallschirmjager

Agreed...but surely the way for the GOVERNMENT to do that is to encourage diversity..i.e. encourage companies to invest in the infrastructure, encourage companies to deliver the benefit to all the hardworking voters and citizens and by all means -- then give money, BUT i do not want my hard earned cash (WHICH THEY TAKE) to assess if a technology that is proven right across the globe will work or not...

i would suggest that -- some small reading on the WWW would help there...

dont get me wrong -- the money is a good think -- i am just sick of the trial after trial after train -- we need action -- IMPLEMENT !

why doesnt the government give 200K to the first company who can deliver a working environemnt to 200 people...not bull**** us into delays with further trials

vinnyfitz

From the department's site:

"The objectives of this pilot trial(s) are:

To explore the potential of this technology to meet local access requirements in deploying broadband networks using an alternative wireless based access platform;
To identify the different access environments for which WLAN technology is suitable: Urban/suburban, town/rural;
To identify the different usage scenarios for which WLAN technology is suitable:
A large number of users each requiring low to medium capacity;
A small number of users each requiring large capacity;
A combination of the above.
To identify the trade off between number of users, user capacity requirements and system performance;
To identify the potential opportunities for promoting the use of the technology for broadband access;
To identify the potential constraints that could restrict the deployment of the technology for broadband access;
To identify compatibility of WLAN technology with other uses of license exempted spectrum;
Companies participating in the pilot trial(s) will be required to make available to the Department the relevant information, learning experiences, findings, etc; for public dissemination and assist the Department as required in making it publicly available via such mechanisms as are appropriate, for example:



· Working demonstrations

· Publications

· Internet sites, etc."



By the way they seem to want all the money to be spent by November. Since the applications deadline is 30 August and there will presumably be a few weeks for project selection and approvals this does not allow much time for the implementation phase! Shome mishtake here?

vinnyfitz

- Total amount they intend to dish out
- Maximum percentage support they might offer
- Maximum grant per trial.
- What Government or EU budget the money is coming from and hence what strings might be attached.

These would all be standard parts of a call for proposals.

dahamsta

I'm increasingly of the view that this is a Fianna Fáil Special[TM], i.e. just another funding reannouncement (CAIT).

adam

Fallschirmjager

yep, and what will they do -- yet another one of 'we had no interest blah blah blah', and will be used by eircon to drive home the point of poor takeup....blah blah ..money is put somewhere else...

this is a setup...

crawler

Is this a purely a fluke? Me thinks not!

From ENN on BT's new Wireless Service.....

The service, which became available commercially on 1 August, enables users with the proper hardware to wirelessly access the Internet at speeds of up to 500kbps by being within a 100-metre radius of a BT terminal.


However, according to Esat BT, although the firm would like to introduce a similar service in Ireland, it has yet to find a business case for it. Nevertheless, the company says it will be applying to a recently announced Department of Communications scheme that will provide funding for pilot trials of wireless LAN technology.


"Getting funding would help kick-start public wireless LAN access in Ireland," said Peter Evans, director of products at Esat BT. "At the moment, we are trying to establish the business case for this technology and a trial would help us look at whether money could be made from it in this country." Tenders for funding under the scheme must be submitted by the end of August 2002, and the total amount available for trials is EUR300,000.