ahern launches broadband plan for 19 towns and cities

ednwireland

anyone know what the list is can't find it on the gov or dept website either ?

ednwireland

It's appeared

Dermot Ahern Launches 19 Towns Broadband Rollout

000 fibre Kms of High Speed Cable Enough to Go Around Earth
Cork, Monday, 10th February, 2003
Dermot Ahern, T.D., Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, today launched the rollout of a new ¬65 million national broadband scheme which will deliver high speed Internet access to 19 key towns around the country.



Between this year and next over 50,000 fibre kilometres of internet cable enough to go around the earth and still have some left over will be installed in towns from Co. Donegal to Cork.



Once in place and connected to the backbone broadband running through the country, it will provide cheap always-on access to the Internet a vital tool for industry and business and invaluable for educational institutes, health and research bodies.



The project, 90% grant aided by the Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, is co-funded by the EU under the European Regional Development Fund.



Known as the Metropolitan Area Networks, it is being rolled out by local authorities in the 19 towns. Once deployed, it isdesigned to carry all known future requirements in fact one fibre pair has the capacity to carry of all of todays voice and data traffic in and out of Ireland.



The first rollout got underway in Cork city today at the National Software Centre. Cork is providing the largest city network in the programme in a contract with the local City Council worth about ¬11 million. The new Cork ring will serve the business needs of the city.



Speaking at the launch, Minister Ahern said: The new ring similar to a technological ringroad feeding the city will result in increased inward investment.



These metro rings send a clear signal to any investor that these towns are at the cutting edge in terms of Internet access and willingness to embrace the information economy.





The Minister said: The widespread availability of open-access, affordable, always-on broadband infrastructure and services for businesses and citizens is a priority for the Government and my Department. A modern, high-speed, low-cost communications and broadband network is an essential enabler of economic activity and social inclusion.



He added: Apart from the attractions broadband offers in terms of inward investment, it has a very practical role in our health strategy. Hospitals in the towns will be linked by broadband which will allow them to have second opinions on medical conditions instantly; pool knowledge and data; have analysis of a patients condition or access to the latest data and practices. Effectively this tele medicine will play an increasingly significant role in our health services.





The 19 Towns



The 19 towns involved in the project are: Waterford, Dungarvan, Wexford, Carlow, Clonmel, Kilkenny, Cork, Shannon/Limerick, Galway, Athlone, Mullingar, Carrick on Shannon, Manorhamilton, Gaoth Dobhair, Roscommon, Portlaoise, Letterkenny, Tullamore, Ballina.


looks like most of the towns have some sort of fibre link already so anyone know what the point of the gov. throwing money at this is for ?

SkepticOne

The 19 towns and cities in Phase I are: Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Clonmel, Kilkenny, Cork, Shannon/Limerick, Galway, Athlone, Mullingar, Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Gaoth Dobhair, Roscommon, Port Laoise, Letterkenny, Tullamore, Ballina.

The press release is on the Department of Transport's website (which is the remnant of the Department of Public Enterprise) here.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by ednwireland
looks like most of the towns have some sort of fibre link already so anyone know what the point of the gov. throwing money at this is for ?

I think the idea is to use the fibre to link into whatever fibre might be running into the town itself. Ideally the town would need to be on the intersection of multiple backbone links. As well as extending the reach of the fibre around the town, companies would be able to switch between providers without extra digging.

DC

Yeah, with all the fuss going on in the NSC, I had to park at the back of the car park

I just missed the official switch on at 12. I legged it down the stairs but just missed it, so I have nothing to report on that front. I can just picture the minister with two cables in his hand and at the toll of the bell at 12 plugging them together

I've still to be told how this will affect us down in Cork. Will it mean cheaper and more bandwidth for the likes of a hosting company like us? Haven't a clue. I've been told we will be directly on this ring - making us a hub if you like (no not an e-tub).

I'll see if I can get some low-down on what it means in practical terms to Joe Soap Esquire.

SkepticOne

The 19 towns is just the first phase of a three phase project. Going back to the original press release of May 2002:

The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O’ Rourke TD, today announced a major drive to bring high speed Internet access to 67 towns around the country.

The Minister launched phases one and two of a regional broadband programme which will ultimately see investment of €160 million in delivering town fibre optic networks in key locations regionally. Both phases involve investment in each of the 26 counties.

Phase one of the broadband programme will see 19 towns, many in the Border, Midlands and West (BMW) region targeted immediately. Metropolitan area fibre optic networks will be built in these towns to link up with the existing backbone network in the country. The town links will facilitate consumers, educational establishments, industry and business and provide "always on" low cost and high speed Internet access which will drive the Government’s e-commerce agenda.

The first phase is being conducted in association with local and regional authorities which will receive 90% funding from the Exchequer. A total of €44 million is already allocated this year in the Department of Public Enterprise vote for the project, which should be completed in full next year at a full cost of €60 million.

What is being said here is that phase 1 will be completed this year.

raindog

Originally posted by SkepticOne
The 19 towns is just the first phase of a three phase project. Going back to the original press release of May 2002:


What is being said here is that phase 1 will be completed this year.

If it says this year then that means sometime next year if at all.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by raindog
If it says this year then that means sometime next year if at all.

Well, Dermot Ahern is now saying that it will be done over this year and next.

mike65

How many times is this project going to be announced!:mad:

Where does this leave eircoms DSL
roll-out? Will the fibre be a competitor to DSL? Will eircom have acces to both?

Sorry if they sound like silly questions but I'm confused as to the place in the grand scheme of things that this fibre ring will occupy.

Mike.

SkepticOne

Originally posted by mike65
How many times is this project going to be announced!:mad:

Where does this leave eircoms DSL
roll-out? Will the fibre be a competitor to DSL? Will eircom have acces to both?

It's got nothing to do with Eircom's DSL and won't be a direct competitor. It may be an indirect competitor insofar as it might provide backhaul to an ISP running DSL in Eircom's exchanges under LLU. Alternatively, it might be used as backhaul by a company like IBB or IrishWisp for wireless networking. Their primary purpose is leased line like services to companies.

The fibre rings are strongly opposed by Eircom.

Mossy Monk

would this help get my road cabled. cable everywhere else except for my road and that has handy cable internet

davelerave

Originally posted by mike65
How many times is this project going to be announced!:mad:

Where does this leave eircoms DSL
roll-out? Will the fibre be a competitor to DSL? Will eircom have acces to both?

Sorry if they sound like silly questions but I'm confused as to the place in the grand scheme of things that this fibre ring will occupy.

Mike.

any number of times! also they usually announce that they're doing it and also a few times that they did it

thegills

looks like most of the towns have some sort of fibre link already so anyone know what the point of the gov. throwing money at this is for ?

Because Esat and eircom operate a duopoly and stunt the growth of other operators outside Dublin.

Between this year and next over 50,000 fibre kilometres of internet cable enough to go around the earth and still have some left over will be installed in towns from Co. Donegal to Cork.

Again misleading; 19 towns totalling approx. 400km of new network.

Shannon/Limerick

Just Limerick.
Phase 1 will be spread out over 2003 and 2004 as the funding os allocated that way. Phase 2 and 3 won't happen for years due to cut-backs.
Sweden allocated e1Bn funding.
If the local authorities start leasing their sites to wireless operators the potential for WLan and such technologies will rocket.

ednwireland

mind you having thought about this increasing the backhaul network makes sense (except that certainly a number of towns could be included when this cable is put in which are on the route, such as Donegal town which currently i think has 10 gbit going through it but you can only get an expensive eircom frame relay line )
but lets be honest this isn't addreessing the main problem which is the last mile until that is deregulated there will be NO competition

thegills

ednwireland I totally disagree with you regarding the last mile. Limerick MAN are talking to operators both new and old about the possibility of using their MAN to access customers. These operators are also talking to ESBT and Aurora about getting cheap fibre from Dublin to Limerick. Some have even purchased data centre's in Dublin (360Networks, WorldPort, etc.)and have already access out of Ireland.
These operators want to offer DSL and WLAN for starters.

spongebob

Where is the limerickman Website ? I'd like to see it.

Will the next county Dev plans Ensure that ducting is provisioned in Limerick City and Limerick County on a carrier agnostic basis I wonder..

The current plans linked above all run out next year so I would pressurise the planners pronto.....otherwise ye are fecked.

If the ducting isn't provisioned and handed over to the local authority by the developer IN ITS ENTIREITY then you can't really pressurise the Current monopoly can you now.....seeing as the planning process stupidly allows them to perpetuate their monopoly.

It would be refreshing to see a more mature attitude in Limerick than has been the case in Galway and Mayo where the planners may have taken the brown envelopes from Eircom.

M

thegills

As most of the road development is funded by the NRA there is a 'stand-off' regarding ducting. The NRA have their own agenda regarding ducting and have insisted that 4-way ducts are installed on the new South Ring Road. The Limerick MAN is funded by the Government and every effort has been made by the project team to ensure that where a road is being built, ducts are being laid. The City and County councils are now coming around to the idea that ducts should be installed as a norm along with water and waste pipes.
But as you know they have limited funds so are not too keen to pay for these duct installations.

spongebob

this problem applies not to new estates..... be they housing or industrial

New estates (Housing or Industrial) are built by private developers. Planning conditions are attached.

The Local Authority takes them in charge after 5-10 years.... thats what I mean....see This Report ....section 58 and 60 in particular but there are other final mile provisioning strategies.....all withering owing to the ineptitude of the local authorities. (Staff and Elected)

The Roads you refer to are built by the local authority or the government (NRA) themselves. They dont run past front doors of new houses as a rule. Consider them of lesser importance until the final mile ducting is locally owned.

M

thegills

Unless we invest e1Bn like Sweden then ducting and fibre into a house will never be an option. The only solution for Broadband to to the home is over existing cables (ESB, copper) or wireless. If we can get fibre close to the housing estates and offer a backhaul solution for aggregated traffic then we have made a huge step. The Limerick MAN doesn't go into estates but serves the populatin centres. If some of the wireless companies they are talkng to can get 'hotspots' going then these house will have affordable wireless broadband.