ESB southern broadband network goes live

matthiku · 31-01-2003 2:49pm #1

The ESB has switched on the southern loop of its EUR50 million national fibre optic broadband network as it seeks to enter the telecoms wholesale market.

The southern section of the network links Dublin to Shannon, Dublin to Waterford, and Waterford to Cork and Limerick.

The southern loop accounts for around half of the 1,300 km network, and the ESB will now look to light-up the remainder by autumn of this year. That phase will see links established between Clare and Galway, Roscommon to Sligo to Leitrim, Donegal to Monaghan to Cavan to Louth to Meath, and to Donegal. The ESB said that two-thirds of this network is already in place.

BUT:

With part of the network in place, the ESB's telecoms arm will attempt to operate as a "carriers carrier," which means it will provide access services to the likes of telecoms, ISPs, mobile operators, large companies, universities and local authorities, but not to the general public.

It's all about the "last mile" - as long as there are no or only exotic alternatives (like WLAN) available, it will not have much benefit to the enduser down the road. However:

Two-thirds of the funding for the EUR50.79 million project has been from the ESB, with the remainder coming from the Department of Public Enterprise.

Dazzer · 31-01-2003 2:53pm

Any idea what the wholesale price is?

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 31-01-2003 3:09pm

You have to sign an NDA before they'll give it to you.

matthiku · 31-01-2003 3:14pm

Originally posted by Dazzer
Any idea what the wholesale price is?

wholesale price for what?
We are not talking about monthly rent for a simple Phone line or a Leased Line to endusers here.

iwb · 31-01-2003 3:22pm

The smallest amount of bandwidth they will sell is 34Mbps. This is definately for carriers only as there are probably very few if any single users in the country who are in a position to buy it.
I had heard that they would be significantly cheaper than Eircom for a similar service.
Anyone know what Eircom would charge for 34Mbps?

KdjaCL · 31-01-2003 3:27pm

Someone want to break it down ,how do people physically connect to this??

is it the same as the japanase DSL over power lines or is it something else??

kdjac

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 31-01-2003 3:29pm

Originally posted by KdjaC
Someone want to break it down ,how do people physically connect to this??

is it the same as the japanase DSL over power lines or is it something else??

kdjac

The ESB have POPs around the country - you have to get your data to these and then it's transferred over the fibre back to where ever your connecting to.

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 31-01-2003 3:30pm

Originally posted by iwb
Anyone know what Eircom would charge for 34Mbps?

Here's the Eircom price list:

http://www.eircom.ie/About/Activities/Sn1_pt15.pdf

iwb · 31-01-2003 4:03pm

Thanks for the pricelist. Just for fun, I had a look and I can't figure out what 34Mb costs. I don't understand the way the circuits work. Are you paying for some of every column to buy bandwidth to the internet?

The Cigarette Smoking Man · 31-01-2003 4:25pm

Originally posted by iwb
Thanks for the pricelist. Just for fun, I had a look and I can't figure out what 34Mb costs. I don't understand the way the circuits work. Are you paying for some of every column to buy bandwidth to the internet?

For a leased line you have to pay three parts. The first is from your location to your nearest exchange (local end). Then if the other end of your line doesn't use the same exchange as you, you have to pay a trunk charge based on the distance between the exchanges. Then you pay another local end charge based on the distance between the second exchange and the final destination.

All the charges in that pdf are only for the leased line. If you want internet access you'll have to pay extra.

megavolt · 31-01-2003 4:43pm

How do people get access to this?

Answer:
ESB would have their POP's around the country connected directly to their fibre ring, these can be in a cabinet beside the road, in a rented building or in their own buildings.

If you want a connection to this network they would probably see how far you are from their network and dig a route into your building. You would be presented with a fibre pair and this would be your 34Mb circuit.

This would then go onto your router if you have the suitable interface, or they could install a multiplexer on your site and take the 34Mb connection off that Via a high frequency coax.

It's all based on SDH or PDH and this allows them to have huge bandwidth around the country, yet still be able to drop off small bandwidth connections wherever they're needed.

Hope that clears things upa bit.

raindog · 31-01-2003 7:06pm

Originally posted by megavolt
How do people get access to this?

If you want a connection to this network they would probably see how far you are from their network and dig a route into your building. You would be presented with a fibre pair and this would be your 34Mb circuit.

I presume that like other carriers, this would be an unlit E3. In other words the pipe would be 34Mb but you would pay extra per each Mb that is actually switched on.

crazyasafox · 31-01-2003 8:42pm

Well the 6 oclock news on rte must of got the wrong end of the stick as they were putting it across as broadband for the masses(you and me)and one of the speakers went as far as to say that it would bring down the cost by 50%.They also said it would be 30 times faster than your normal telephone line which points to a consumer product as this is far to little bandwidth for the likes of a large corp or isp

The_Bullman · 31-01-2003 9:00pm

Same thoughts here crazyasafox. I heard it on the evening news, got all excited(even though the timeframe was mentioned), then went to the IOFFL forum to get taken back down to earth.

raindog · 31-01-2003 9:16pm

Here is a link from the ESB's very own website.http://www.esb.ie/main/news_events/press_release186.jsp

BigEejit · 31-01-2003 9:27pm

ummm ..60 GBytes / sec around the country ... could use some of that alright

Xian · 31-01-2003 10:43pm

Canadian firm to bid for €70m fibre ring
Jamie Smyth, Irish Times, January 31 2003

Axia NetMedia, a Canadian telecoms firm, will bid for the contract to manage the Government's proposed new €70 million fibre ring network in 19 regional towns.

The firm, which is quoted on the Toronto Stock Exchange, will also propose setting up a nationwide internet protocol network to manage all the Government's telecommunications requirements...

pork99 · 31-01-2003 11:49pm

Just an idea and from a technical point of view I don't know what I'm talking about but

1) ESB have this fibre-optic network

2) Most houses in this country are within 200 metres of a street light which ESB is supplying power to

3) Those lilypad* yokes have a wireless range of over 600 metres?

(*dont actually know what one of these is!)

So just get the fibre to each street light, each of which has a "lilypad" installed - instant wireless network!

or am I missing something?

(I'll get me coat.... )

yellum · 01-02-2003 12:13am

The fibres only visting certain towns and pops. Its not going through every street. That would cost a lot more if it was. Its not going through the Electricity cables. This is fibre optic thats being put down (or up )

Its the bigger players then that will plug into this network at various pops around the country.

pork99 · 01-02-2003 12:25am

I see

KdjaCL · 01-02-2003 12:55am

So in numpty terms.

ISP ie AOL /UTV <prolly them buy into this POP thing and then.......

//i`ll get my coat also

kdjac

yellum · 01-02-2003 1:21am

Wonder can we get a representative from the ESB to come on to this forum and talk shop and dispel the hearsay and rumours for us the bandwidth watchers.

/me sends off a quick email

skrobe · 01-02-2003 2:43pm

ok i known this is very confusing, but it seems it must have some effect on the amount/price of broadband in ireland. Surely some isp's like Elive/IOL/any new isp's, can buy this off them on the cheap and resell on the cheap??
j

Calibos · 01-02-2003 3:13pm

Am I missing something or has it not been explained that this is just extra bandwidth between some Irish cities/large towns via fibre? In which case its got nothing to do with last mile connectivity or BB over powerlines. If had any effect on BB if any it would be that ISP's might save a few quid by buying bandwidth between these towns from the Esb rather than Eircom?

yellum · 01-02-2003 3:33pm

Originally posted by skrobe
ok i known this is very confusing, but it seems it must have some effect on the amount/price of broadband in ireland. Surely some isp's like Elive/IOL/any new isp's, can buy this off them on the cheap and resell on the cheap??
j

They are not selling bandwidth in the sense I think you mean. They're basically selling a route.

A simplistic if slightly inaccurate explanation is you get a pair of wires in limerick that go all the way to dublin. What you do with them is your own business. If you want to connect the Dublin end to a bandwidth src you can, and then bring it down to Limerick and resell it from there.

Dustaz · 01-02-2003 3:37pm

Thats a brilliant explanation yellum, thanks

zynaps · 01-02-2003 7:55pm

How does the POP thing work? I know one location is RTE (so I've heard anyway), does that mean a company would have to set up and manage equipment at RTE to use this bandwidth?

For example, is this what IBB/leap etc may be doing?
Or is it like... an underground thing where carriers already have their own cable running into the POP to shtick in?

...

zynaps

ESB southern broadband network goes live

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