NCC report

iwb

I get the Electric News newsletter and was interested to see the report from the NCC.
http://www.forfas.ie/news.html

Probably more interesting though was a 'related article' down the page.
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=8679989

And I quote:
"So perhaps the story isn't about how expensive it is to be on-line any more. Competition will resolve that ultimately (fingers crossed). While we might all like really cheap, fixed-rate Net access, what the economy will need is broadband that reaches out to all parts of this island, allows communities and businesses to compete on a global footing and delivers government services to its citizens. "

I suppose it could be said that this is in some ways a positive comment. The efforts of people like IOFFL mean that flat rate is inevitable. The next challenge is to get always on access to a large percentage of the Irish population.

These are interesting times indeed.

Neil.

ednwireland

I liked this bit it's a shame that politicians are so spineless they only look to the next election and if something is unpopular or doesn't give them instant perceived kudos they won't contemplate doing it

"It's been bandied about on numerous occasions that Ireland wants to be at the forefront of the 'knowledge economy.' Now it's time to put up or shut up because failure to keep up in this race is not an option anyone wants to contemplate. If Ireland fails, its greatest asset -- its people -- will become part of another great brain drain. "

nice comment couldn't put it better myself

timod

They fixed the link to the report too...

http://www.forfas.ie/ncc/reports/ncc_annual_02/ACR.pdf

The challenge (basically a summary) is here:
http://www.forfas.ie/ncc/reports/ncc_challenge_02/challenge.pdf

to quote:

Telecommunications

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Widespread availability of competitively priced broadband is crucial to Ireland’s development as a knowledge economy, realising the growth and productivity benefits of e-business and new technologies and developing as an attractive location for
portable investment in hi-tech industry. Larger companies and institutions are generally well served. However, the roll-out of broadband connectivity to smaller towns and to SMEs in general remains disappointingly slow.

Recent Developments
According to the ACR Ireland is ranked 15th out of 16 countries for access to broadband lines.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?
In March 2002, the Government announced the Regional Broadband Investment Initiative to provide optical fibre networks and DSL services over copper networks to an initial 20 towns, to be rolled out to 123 locations over the next five years on a PPP
basis if the initial phase proves successful. It is important to ensure that the State’s involvement is efficient and effective in itself and does not crowd out private-sector investment. The Government should not own the local loop but must play a strong
role in putting the required investment in place if the economic benefits of broadband are to be secured.

Recommendations

1. Funding to complete the development of optical fibre networks in the initial 20 towns identified by the Regional Broadband Investment Initiative should be provided in the Budget 2003 estimates. In light of the tighter fiscal situation, the development of a single PPP should be accelerated to leverage the maximum
private sector finance and participation.

2. A specialist broadband planning body or office should be established to coordinate and manage, in close co-operation with the private sector, the involvement of the full range of public authorities concerned in the Regional Broadband Investment Initiative. The State should make the best use of existing
infrastructures to achieve a faster and more complete rollout of broadband services, including the optical fibre networks of semi-state bodies.

3. The transposition into domestic law of the new EU regulatory framework for telecommunications should be accelerated. In transposing these directives, the Government should address the following key omissions from the Communications Regulation Act, 2002:
• The potential insufficiency of existing fines as a deterrent;
• The lack of an appeals mechanism; and,
• The need to maintain national regulatory oversight of market areas where competition is yet to develop, in particular mobile and high speed interconnection charges.

4. A substantial programme of demand-side measures to stimulate rapid take-up of broadband services should be developed by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, at the level of Government in the roll-out of
eGovernment services on a more extensive and faster rate than competing countries.

also, in the SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION section:

• Twelfth out of 16 countries in internet usage per 1,000 inhabitants.
• Ninth out of 15 countries in technological achievement.
• Last out of ten countries surveyed in the proportion of DSL use.