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IrelandOffline Newsletter

  • 20-11-2002 12:09am
    #1
    Dangger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭


    Dear IrelandOffline member,

    Welcome to the Ireland Offline Newsletter 19-11-2002

    *INTRODUCTION
    - About this newsletter
    - Overview of Recent Developments

    * MAIN NEWS:
    - Minister Ahern to issue flat rate directive
    - IrelandOffline nominated for IIA award
    - ODTR to be replaced by the Commission for Communications Regulation
    - IrelandOffline's trip to Brussels

    * MEDIA:
    - BBC gets it wrong then right
    - PC Live columns Oct/Nov/Dec
    - Recent IrelandOffline radio slots

    * EVENTS:
    - Donegal users meeting


    *** INTRODUCTION

    Dear IrelandOffline member,

    Welcome to the first of what we hope to be a fortnightly newsletter from Ireland Offline. We aim to bring you the latest developments from our campaign

    These are interesting times in the development of the Irish Internet market, although we still have a long way to go there are signs of improvement. The past three months have seen the introduction of a partial (off-peak) flat rate dial up and ISDN products by EsatBT and UTV Internet, and an announcement by EsatBT that they are hoping to introduce full flat rate (allowing off peak and on peak Internet access for a flat monthly fee) early in the new year. EsatBT and Nevada Tele.com are both currently in negotiations with Eircom to finalise the terms and conditions of such an offering.

    Most recently the Minister for Communications, Dermot Ahern announced that when the Commission for Communications Regulation, the replacement body for the ODTR takes over from the ODTR they will be issued with a Ministerial directive to make the availability of a flat rate product in the Irish market an absolute priority. EsatBT have announced that they intend to launch a 256k ADSL product in the run up to Christmas, and EsatBT and Eircom are adding to the list of exchanges enabled for ADSL.

    Meanwhile IrelandOffline continues to draw attention to the deficit in Ireland's Internet connectivity in local and international media and recently represented home and business users at a hearing investigating the liberalisation of the Irish telecommunications market held in Brussels on the 7th of October, the report of which will be released by the EU Information Society Commission in the last week of November.

    Don't forget to check out the official IrelandOffline website which has grown considerably over the past few months with the addition of several new sections. Most recently the Press Pack area has been added with a variety of user perspectives on how the Internet connection deficit is affecting businesses and individuals, it is here:
    http://www.irelandoffline.org/home/index.php?topic=Press_Pack . The results
    of the IrelandOffline members survey are available here :
    http://www.irelandoffline.org/survey/results/current/ and the general news section is updated regularly.


    Thank you for your continued support.


    The IrelandOffline committee.



    *** MAIN NEWS:

    *** Minister Ahern to issue flat rate directive:

    The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dermot Ahern TD, has announced that he will issue a directive to the Commission for Communications Regulation (replacement body for the ODTR) to introduce flat rate internet access as an absolute priority. The first step is to be the publication of a draft direction, which will be followed by a 21-day period for comment before finalising the direction. The draft direction is expected to be released on the 2nd of December. IrelandOffline will be
    responding to the directive.


    *** Ireland Offline nominated for IIA award:

    IrelandOffline has been nominated for the Irish Internet Association's Net Visionary award for Social Inclusion in recognition of the work the committee and members have been doing to raise awareness of the problems and high costs facing Irish consumers and businesses using the Internet. As the nominations are for people rather than organisations, David Long has been listed in the nominations on behalf of the organisation. We need your vote! Everyone is entitled to vote and to do so simply visit http://www.iia.ie/netvisionary02/vote.html .



    *** ODTR to be replaced by the Commission for Communications Regulation:

    The three commissioners of the new Commission for Communications Regulation (the replacement body for the ODTR) have been announced and will be taking up their new roles in December. The incoming commissioners are John Doherty, previously Head of Market Operations with the ODTR, Ms Etain Doyle, previously Director of the ODTR and Isolde Goggin previously Director of Regulated Markets Division, with the Competition Authority.



    *** IrelandOffline's trip to Brussels:

    In early October IrelandOffline returned to Brussels to speak at a public hearing for the Eighth Implementation Report on the status of the telecommunications market in Ireland. The report is to be released by the EU Information Society Commission in the last week of November.


    *** MEDIA:

    *** BBC gets it wrong then right!

    An article on the BBC's news website prompted responses from hoards of furious IrelandOffline members who were anxious to point out that the truth behind Ireland's E-hub ambitions were far from the rosy picture conveyed by news item. The BBC investigated and gave IrelandOffline the chance to set
    the record straight in a story, which was picked up my many news sites worldwide including The Washington Post. The story is available here:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/technology/2377447.stm


    *** PC Live columns Oct/Nov/Dec

    IrelandOffline have written a series of articles for PC Live! magazine. The articles cover topics such as telecommunications regulation in Ireland, and the demystification of broadband (available here:
    http://www.techcentral.ie/techcentral/pchome/internet/broadening_horizons.xml), Decembers issue will be investigating what broadband connections are currently available in Ireland.


    *** Recent IrelandOffline radio slots

    Over the past few months IrelandOffline have been featured on several radio shows, including RTE's Morning Ireland and Pat Kenny show, Newstalk 106FM's George Hook show and the Sunday Business show. The clips are gradually being added to the Radio section of the IrelandOffline website.



    *** EVENTS:

    *** Donegal users meeting

    Martin Harran former chairman of IrelandOffline is planning to hold a public meeting in Donegal to which TD's, local politicians, representatives Uduras/IDA and local business leaders will be invited to discuss the impact that the lack of Internet access is having on the county. Representatives from the telecom operators will also be invited to put their side of the
    story. Anyone from Donegal who is interested in attending the meeting or, even better, making a short input on how they or their business is affected, please contact the IrelandOffline committee (chairman@irelandoffline.org).


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