Irish Web use to remain stagnant: expert

dahamsta

I don't think there's going to be a landrush to the Internet when flat-rate is released and DSL gets cheaper, but I do think there will be a significant and noticeable acceleration in takeup. Of course I'm not an expert, but I reckon that if I was making these statements as a representative of Ireland's leading specialist in predictive market research, consumer trend analysis and business forecasting, I'd be expected to back up my assertions with a few facts and figures.

adam

Irish Web use to remain stagnant: expert
Friday, May 02 2003
by John Cradden

The number of Irish people using the Internet is unlikely to be affected by broadband and flat-rate Internet access, according to an expert.

Bettina McCarvill, a senior consultant with research firm Amarach Consulting, told ElectricNews.Net that the introduction of consumer broadband services or the arrival of 24/7 flat-rate Internet access was not likely to result in big increases in the numbers of Irish people going on-line.

"The cost of going on-line is not a base deterrent," she said. "Its more likely just a lack of interest, a feeling that isn't relevant to them or are not familiar with the Internet." She said that numbers of new people going on-line were likely to steadily rise in any event.

Last year, it was estimated 38 percent of adults had Internet access, or about 1,065,000 people, which was an increase of 5 percent on 2001 figures. Amarach forecasts that an additional 5 percent of Irish adults will go on-line within the next 12 months, rising to nearly 50 percent by mid-2004.

In international terms, Internet penetration in Ireland is similar to that of the UK, but lags someway behind the US where Internet usage is more than 60 percent.

[...]

jd

Originally posted by dahamsta
but I reckon that if I was making these statements as a representative of Ireland's leading specialist in predictive market research, consumer trend analysis and business forecasting, I'd be expected to back up my assertions with a few facts and figures.

adam

Yeah-there doesn't seem to be any quantitative analysis to back up her assertion.
This kind of stuff "Its more likely just a lack of interest, a feeling " is a waste of space...
Just fluff and marketing for amarach inho

Lemming

Well,

Ms. McCarvill, perhaps you'd care to share with us why Irish people are so much different from just about every other connected nation on earth??

Why, when 24/7 dialup and cheap DSL has been brought out penetration has jumped significantly in just about every other nation which has brought out such services, do you think that Ireland is so special and unique in that regard that we just wont care ????

Please. Indulge us. Share your wordly wisdom with us. Show us your evidence that this is scripture.

neverhappen

hmm, this "opinion" sounds familiar - maybe they're angling for a "research" commission from eircom.... or maybe they've already got one....

dahamsta

Actually, now that I spot an IO committee member here, is there any chance you guys could fire something at ENN over the weekend to refute Amarach's claims. Be nice to see unsupported waffle taken down a notch with facts and figures. Might convice wassername not to do it again too.

adam

De Rebel

There is some little alarm going off in the back of my head - isn't there a tie up between Amarach and some major Telecomms company? CRO/IIRON is not clear.....

RicardoSmith

"The cost of going on-line is not a base deterrent".

There simply has to be an Eircom connection to that statement. Its so untrue an illogical I amazed at their neck for publishing it. It not only contradicts all facts not only of the Internet penetration in other countries (other than UK which is as almost screwed up as here) but of all business/commerce logic. Shows clearly the journalistic value of ENN.

SkepticOne

The problem is that call charges are taken for granted by people and are not considered consciously even though they have an effect on internet usage. What it has led to is a population who use the internet for essential things but are unenthusiastic about it.

I would not attach too much weight to a survey trying to assess peoples enthusiasm for something that is as yet only an abstract concept.

nahdoic

eircom tribunal have already pointed out how internet penetration rates are used to disguise the real situation of actual internet usage. I think you should just point the ENN editor to http://www.eircomtribunal.com/dossier_facts.html

Irish internet usage is going to sky-rocket with the introduction of FRIACO and broadband. If anyone believes otherwise then they are a big fool. Internet penetration rates will continue to rise steadily enough, so what Bettina is saying is true.

However, statements like "Irish Web use to remain stagnant: expert" is editorial nonsense and ineptitude on behalf of ENN. Actual Irish web usage is going to sky-rocket, and that's not what Bettina was saying. She was talking penetration rates and ENN assumed this to mean usage.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by nahdoic
eircom tribunal have already pointed out how internet penetration rates are used to disguise the real situation of actual internet usage. I think you should just point the ENN editor to http://www.eircomtribunal.com/dossier_facts.html

Irish internet usage is going to sky-rocket with the introduction of FRIACO and broadband. If anyone believes otherwise then they are a big fool. Internet penetration rates will continue to rise steadily enough, so what Bettina is saying is true.

However, statements like "Irish Web use to remain stagnant: expert" is editorial nonsense and ineptitude on behalf of ENN. Actual Irish web usage is going to sky-rocket, and that's not what Bettina was saying. She was talking penetration rates and ENN assumed this to mean usage.

Good point...

BoneCollector

The number of Irish people using the Internet is unlikely to be affected by broadband and flat-rate Internet access, according to an expert.

here`s the problem with the likes of ENN and most other reporting methods i have seen lately, is its all lazy reporting, even the internet is getting the same way all over.

People and companies make press releases and the papers print as read, No investagative reporting what so ever!

Some one express`s an opinion like this guy and its printed, no questions no investigation, its all trash news/reporting..
and its become so prevalent all over the internet.

reporters and newspapers have a quota to meet and they meet it just to fill it up.
then people read it and believe what there reading because there too lazy to make up there own mind or do there own investigating, and if there already fearfull of all this technology this kind of reporting supports there fears and componds the problem even further, and to call some one an Expert!?

In the end it all serves to damage peoples already damaged perseption of the benifits of having internet access.

Balfa

but wouldn't penetration rates be increased by FRIACO, as well as internet usage?

I should hope so!

nahdoic

yes penetration rates will be increased alright, but you won't be seeing absolutely huge increases in penetration rates. we're at about 40% penetration at the moment and the article is saying we'll have 50% by mid-2004. sounds about right to me.

where the incredible increases will be in net usage and time spent on-line. we'll finally start to look like we might actually be a second world country, instead of a third world one.

MadsL

All runs a bit contrary to what Nielsen observed in February...
(and I've heard of them before )

quote...

The online gaming sector in Europe is showing remarkable levels of growth, according to the latest research from Nielsen//NetRatings. In January 2003, 5.9 million Europeans visited an online games site on the Internet - more than double the 2.8 million surfers who visited sites in this sector in
January last year.


http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_030219_uk.pdf

Paddy20

How anyone can refer to that parson offering that opinion, on the uptake in future of Internet usage after the introduction flat-rate, as an "Expert" needs their head examined!.

She is talking complete - Balderdash, just ask UTVip if their consumer base increased dramatically and very rapidly after they introduced a *Partial off-peak flat-rate service here in the Republic?.

I think we all know the answer to that question. Price of staying online has always been the greatest deterrent to people using the Internet.

Paddy20:ninja:

Paddy20

Ms Bettina McCarvill,

Sorry, I of course mean you are a *Person not a Parson? something of a freudian slip so to speak.

A senior consultant as well in to the bargain, God hekp us all?.

I just hope the sensible business and domestic user targetted Media *Ignore - your total rubbish and if you received a fee for carrying out appropriate research which enabled you to form and utter your stupid *anti - Irish citizen opinion . Then do the decent thing and give whoever paid a complete *Refund right away.

It might help you retrieve some semblance of honesty or credibility or even senseability . Which is badly now in need of salvaging.

Paddy20

MadsL

Ouch!!
Did you mail that to her Paddy?

Paddy20

MadsL,

Quote:- " Ouch!!
Did you mail that to her Paddy?..

No, not yet!. I am not sure that she warrants such personal attention from me? but anyone is free too forward my opinion too
her as it is now in the *Public domain.

Paddy20;)

MadsL

I might mail her and point out that her research integrity is being questioned here. Wonder if she would respond with the data...anyone found the full report?


Who you calling Newbie!!! 100th post!

GUI

id disagree with that..
im from sligo and was onto an esatbt rep about dsl for business up here..

him "what your from sligo"
me "ya why"

him "my last 5 calls have been from sligo"
me "were a booming city ;-)"

DeVore

I'd like to see how she explains Boards.ie rather dramatic growth. I went to check some stats recently. In feb 2001 we had 9,000 posts in the month. Last month we had 45,000.

Maybe because Boards isnt included in any of these studies, our growth isnt impacting on the figures

Look, she's some Amarach researcher. Ignore it except to slap ENN for putting out a party line again.
I also recall some connection from Eircom to Amarach too.

DeV.

DeVore

Tell you one thing though, you've (collectively) given me an idea.

Why do we get our news from the likes of ENN/Techcentral when we are pretty sure they are getting it screwy.

We should write our own tech news site.... "share what you know, learn what you dont". I mean, we have some of the best techies here... why shouldnt WE do it. Cant take much more then writing a post here and if we had 10 GOOD guys/gals who are respected for their opinions then we'd beat the pants off everyone else.

Yes, yes I think this is a good idea. I have to go lie down now, that was exhausting.


DeV.

jmcc

Originally posted by dahamsta
I don't think there's going to be a landrush to the Internet when flat-rate is released and DSL gets cheaper, but I do think there will be a significant and noticeable acceleration in takeup. Of course I'm not an expert, but I reckon that if I was making these statements as a representative of Ireland's leading specialist in predictive market research, consumer trend analysis and business forecasting, I'd be expected to back up my assertions with a few facts and figures.

It is the usual Amarach press release stuff for the gullible. For 'predictive' read 'made-up'. It is blindingly obvious that once you change a billing system, the way that people use a service changes accordingly. Thus up until now you have had people surfing purely for information that they felt that they needed. With a flat rate/DSL model the change would be that people will no longer perceive that they are paying by the minute and would be more likely to surf sites for the pleasure of it. What this will mean for the current web business is that personal and community orientated sites are more likely to see an upturn in traffic. Use of staid business sites - run by the companies that buy this Amarach stuff - will probably not get appreciably more traffic.

Regards...jmcc