Eir rural FTTH thread

WexIan · 27-12-2016 10:51AM

Gonzo wrote: »

im really not sure it means much, there is a pole on our road with a D on it for over 6 months now.

An Eir linesman was repairing a fault for me recently and there was a dodgy pole on my drive which needed replacing, so he put a red D on it, reported that it needed replacing and within 2 weeks a crew replaced it.

Gonzo · 27-12-2016 12:09PM

WexIan wrote: »

An Eir linesman was repairing a fault for me recently and there was a dodgy pole on my drive which needed replacing, so he put a red D on it, reported that it needed replacing and within 2 weeks a crew replaced it.

the pole I was referring to just got replaced a few days before Christmas when the lads were finishing up wiring/splicing.

A friend of mine who used to live in the area moved to Sweden about 6 years ago and was home for Christmas. He lives in a rural part of southern Sweden just outside a town with few houses away from the urban area. He has 8meg ADSL similar to myself. I was telling him that FTTH is launching here soon and told him about the general rollout and Eir's plans to cover just slightly over 300,000 premises with FTTH. He was absolutely shocked, how Eir have changed so much from the company he remembered before he moved away. He recently got a quote for a fiber installation in his swedish rural home and the quote came to between 4k and 5k's worth in euros. Obviously he didn't proceed. Other people he knows living in rural areas have had quote's up to 10k. They will be stuck on ADSL for many more years it seems. He said we have no idea how lucky we are to be getting a rollout such as this in Ireland and for a relatively small payment by the customer. He said most of the areas that are being covered by Eir's plans would not get a look in in many other European countries.

Johnboy1951 · 27-12-2016 12:30PM

Gonzo wrote: »

the pole I was referring to just got replaced a few days before Christmas when the lads were finishing up wiring/splicing.

A friend of mine who used to live in the area moved to Sweden about 6 years ago and was home for Christmas. He lives in a rural part of southern Sweden just outside a town with few houses away from the urban area. He has 8meg ADSL similar to myself. I was telling him that FTTH is launching here soon and told him about the general rollout and Eir's plans to cover just slightly over 300,000 premises with FTTH. He was absolutely shocked, how Eir have changed so much from the company he remembered before he moved away. He recently got a quote for a fiber installation in his swedish rural home and the quote came to between 4k and 5k's worth in euros. Obviously he didn't proceed. Other people he knows living in rural areas have had quote's up to 10k. They will be stuck on ADSL for many more years it seems. He said we have no idea how lucky we are to be getting a rollout such as this in Ireland and for a relatively small payment by the customer. He said most of the areas that are being covered by Eir's plans would not get a look in in many other European countries.

In many parts of Sweden they rely on LTE for reasonable connections. Of course it has all the problems mentioned on various threads on Boards, but their LTE is much further advanced than ours has been.
I agree with your friend's view ...... even if it does take until 2020 or 2022 to get this finished, we should all be looking very positively on the NBP as we know it presently and be prepared to defend the aim against any change that might be tried to cut back that aim.
Eir made a commercial decision to do the blue-lines, based on the NBP aims. Hopefully neither will be changed in the coming years.

It would be nice to know we did it 'right' even if it is to take longer than we might wish.

ED E · 27-12-2016 07:20PM

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

In many parts of Sweden they rely on LTE for reasonable connections. Of course it has all the problems mentioned on various threads on Boards, but their LTE is much further advanced than ours has been.
I agree with your friend's view ...... even if it does take until 2020 or 2022 to get this finished, we should all be looking very positively on the NBP as we know it presently and be prepared to defend the aim against any change that might be tried to cut back that aim.
Eir made a commercial decision to do the blue-lines, based on the NBP aims. Hopefully neither will be changed in the coming years.

It would be nice to know we did it 'right' even if it is to take longer than we might wish.

Scandinavian Countries(bar Denmark) + Finland are a bit different in that past 50% the way north it goes from regular development to "Fúck you all I want to live alone" mode and each house is 20km from the previous one.

That way the networks need to cover uber low density, worse than the wilds of the west here. They do it with 400/700Mhz cells that go further but slower. Provides around 12Mb or so in most cases but its very practical in areas where there are only a few UEs so peak contention is still pretty mild.

[B]Pop Density per km^2[/B]
Republic of Ireland 65
Finland	16
Norway	13
Sweden	20

Different ball game all together.

Gonzo · 28-12-2016 12:50PM

3 exchanges should be going live today for FTTH, Belclare, Cornamona and Torloughmore. Admittidely 3 places I never heard of till last week:)

KeRbDoG · 28-12-2016 02:49PM

plodder wrote: »

My exchange in rural North county Dublin has changed back to green "build commenced". FTTH date still says early/mid 2017.

One of those Oldtown or Ballyboughal? Seems they had been on the initial rollout announcements. Would they be considered rural or urban rollouts as they have moderately densely populated cores

Gonzo · 28-12-2016 06:31PM

KeRbDoG wrote: »

One of those Oldtown or Ballyboughal? Seems they had been on the initial rollout announcements. Would they be considered rural or urban rollouts as they have moderately densely populated cores

their part of the blue line rural rollout.

Shyboy · 28-12-2016 07:37PM

Gonzo wrote: »

3 exchanges should be going live today for FTTH, Belclare, Cornamona and Torloughmore. Admittidely 3 places I never heard of till last week:)

Well, I called Eir about an hour ago and they still say that I cannot order FTTH as yet, line showing not available so they have not launched Turloughmore today.

Unless it takes a bit of time to show up on their system?

Gonzo · 28-12-2016 08:33PM

Shyboy wrote: »

Well, I called Eir about an hour ago and they still say that I cannot order FTTH as yet, line showing not available so they have not launched Turloughmore today.

Unless it takes a bit of time to show up on their system?

that's strange, wasn't your line showing as FTTH available on the eir fiber checker about a month ago?

plodder · 28-12-2016 11:17PM

KeRbDoG wrote: »

One of those Oldtown or Ballyboughal? Seems they had been on the initial rollout announcements. Would they be considered rural or urban rollouts as they have moderately densely populated cores

I'm in Oldtown, but Ballyboughal and Oldtown have always had the same status and yeah it appears to be just the rural FTTH rollout, as per the blue lines on the map. It is strange that there hasn't been better DSL coverage up to now. Don't know why that was.

Shyboy · 29-12-2016 04:20AM

Gonzo wrote: »

that's strange, wasn't your line showing as FTTH available on the eir fiber checker about a month ago?

Yes, it is so annoying... If I enter my Eir code, it says that FTTH is available at my address and allows me to order it (to which I get a reply from sales after 24hrs that it is not available). But if I enter just my phone number, it says it is not available...

Gonzo · 29-12-2016 12:41PM

Shyboy wrote: »

Yes, it is so annoying... If I enter my Eir code, it says that FTTH is available at my address and allows me to order it (to which I get a reply from sales after 24hrs that it is not available). But if I enter just my phone number, it says it is not available...

the line checker is weird, my number is the only number in the entire area not showing up the '1000mb broadband might be available in your area' message and no eircode checker either, even tho Fiber is now fixed to the pole beside my gate with a splice box/distribution point only 25 meters away from where I'm sitting!.

ItHurtsWhenIP · 29-12-2016 01:02PM

Gonzo wrote: »

... even tho Fiber is now fixed to the pole beside my gate with a splice box/distribution point only 25 meters away from where I'm sitting!.

You can almost see the light ...

I'll get my coat.

KeRbDoG · 29-12-2016 01:22PM

plodder wrote: »

I'm in Oldtown, but Ballyboughal and Oldtown have always had the same status and yeah it appears to be just the rural FTTH rollout, as per the blue lines on the map. It is strange that there hasn't been better DSL coverage up to now. Don't know why that was.

Now I just need them to venture south from there

I'm in north county but treated like a satellite town of Swords (local cabs labeled 'SRD1') so I might be in for a long wait for any movement for FTTH this direction

damienirel · 29-12-2016 02:52PM

Gonzo wrote: »

the line checker is weird, my number is the only number in the entire area not showing up the '1000mb broadband might be available in your area' message and no eircode checker either, even tho Fiber is now fixed to the pole beside my gate with a splice box/distribution point only 25 meters away from where I'm sitting!.

That is bloody annoying!

Gonzo · 29-12-2016 03:14PM

damienirel wrote: »

That is bloody annoying!

It sure is, I hope it doesn't mean I could miss out due to some incorrect line checker.

ED E · 29-12-2016 03:19PM

Gonzo wrote: »

It sure is, I hope it doesn't mean I could miss out due to some incorrect line checker.

The APQ database is full of errors (In a few million records its bound to happen). I wouldnt worry.

One would expect that the supervising OpenEir tech will be manually checking off each address + eircode that has access to an optical drop when they complete each work order. Saves them dead truck rolls in future.

rob808 · 29-12-2016 03:22PM

Gonzo wrote: »

It sure is, I hope it doesn't mean I could miss out due to some incorrect line checker.

I wouldn't worry about a line checker your exchange hasn't gone live yet. it be impossible to order until the exchange ready,and even then you have wait till your house come up on the sale end before being able to order the way it look it be like a month before you have it.

pegasus1 · 29-12-2016 08:37PM

Gonzo wrote: »

the line checker is weird, my number is the only number in the entire area not showing up the '1000mb broadband might be available in your area' message and no eircode checker either, even tho Fiber is now fixed to the pole beside my gate with a splice box/distribution point only 25 meters away from where I'm sitting!.

Openeir might after all be reading this thread and the snapshot of them back in the office is of them rolling around the floor laughing...at your expense...remember that box installed on your pole way back...inside it had a message to skip you...well, here's hoping this is not the case! :P

tsue921i8wljb3 · 29-12-2016 08:54PM

In relation to the link posted by damienirl in the NBP thread,

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/government-has-tough-call-to-make-as-broadband-tender-enters-endgame-1.2919259

what are people's opinions on this? If you were on a blue line but in an area not in the first 100K premises would you be happy to have your premises removed from the NBP intervention map? Do people trust Openeir to stick to their deadlines? It is interesting to note that the author of the article claims that Openeir have abandoned their regional FTTH rollout since 2015.

Gonzo · 29-12-2016 09:00PM

Allison Puny Appetite wrote: »

In relation to the link posted by damienirl in the NBP thread,

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/government-has-tough-call-to-make-as-broadband-tender-enters-endgame-1.2919259

what are people's opinions on this? If you were on a blue line but in an area not in the first 100K premises would you be happy to have your premises removed from the NBP intervention map? Do people trust Openeir to stick to their deadlines? It is interesting to note that the author of the article claims that Openeir have abandoned their regional FTTH rollout since 2015.

the regional/66 towns rollout has not been abandoned, it's just going very slowly.

They enabled 60 homes in Bray a few weeks ago and on 2nd January they are enabling Roscommon town. They will bring them to about 20 areas enabled out of 66.

tsue921i8wljb3 · 29-12-2016 09:07PM

Gonzo wrote: »

the regional/66 towns rollout has not been abandoned, it's just going very slowly.

They enabled 60 homes in Bray a few weeks ago and on 2nd January they are enabling Roscommon town. They will bring them to about 20 areas enabled out of 66.

In fairness it is as good as abandoned. It is going to get even less precedence as the NBP gets going.

Gonzo · 29-12-2016 09:35PM

Allison Puny Appetite wrote: »

In fairness it is as good as abandoned. It is going to get even less precedence as the NBP gets going.

they should have completed about 40 towns by this stage, tho tbh these towns all have great internet anyway, either Virgin Media or lots of FTTC cabs and the uptake to FTTH in those areas would not take off for years, whereas the rollout switching to the rural areas where there is going to be a huge uptake is probably the right choice.

the majority of people living in towns will just go for whatever is cheapest either VM or FTTC, their not gonna be all scrambling to pay 30 euros more for a speed bump that will be barely noticeable for a few years.

tsue921i8wljb3 · 29-12-2016 09:40PM

Gonzo wrote: »

they should have completed about 40 towns by this stage, tho tbh these towns all have great internet anyway, either Virgin Media or lots of FTTC cabs and the uptake to FTTH in those areas would not take off for years, whereas the rollout switching to the rural areas where there is going to be a huge uptake is probably the right choice.

the majority of people living in towns will just go for whatever is cheapest either VM or FTTC, their not gonna be all scrambling to pay 30 euros more for a speed bump that will be barely noticeable for a few years.

It all points to the fact that they cannot be trusted. 66 towns were to get FTTH, they didn't. 100K premises were to get FTTH by March 2017. It is highly unlikely that will happen. Now we are to take them at face value about 300K by 2018.

Johnboy1951 · 29-12-2016 09:46PM

Allison Puny Appetite wrote: »

In relation to the link posted by damienirl in the NBP thread,

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/government-has-tough-call-to-make-as-broadband-tender-enters-endgame-1.2919259

what are people's opinions on this? If you were on a blue line but in an area not in the first 100K premises would you be happy to have your premises removed from the NBP intervention map? Do people trust Openeir to stick to their deadlines? It is interesting to note that the author of the article claims that Openeir have abandoned their regional FTTH rollout since 2015.

The most interesting bit of info in it, for me, was

Currently, the advertising guidelines suggest “up to” speeds need only represent what a fraction of subscribers receive, meaning most are getting way less than the number used to advertise the package they buy.
To counteract this, the French advertising standards agency recently banned operators from using the term “up to” when it came to advertising speeds.

I am on a blue line but not in the first 100K.
I would be happy to be left out of the NBP on that basis ...... provided that there was a guarantee from eir (with consequences if not fulfilled) that the blue lines will be completed by end 2018 as promised.

In truth, for those on blue lines in or next to areas that eir win the NBP contract, there is no concern at all, because those lines will have to be done (passed) to get the fibre out further into the countryside. But the guarantee would have to be present for blue lines in areas for which eir did not win the MBP contract.

tsue921i8wljb3 · 29-12-2016 09:55PM

Apparently eir were willing to commit to a guarantee before although what the terms were was never disclosed.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/eir-open-to-giving-broadband-commitment-to-300000-homes-and-businesses-400390.html

Legal action seems likely no matter what option the Department chooses.

Gonzo · 29-12-2016 10:00PM

I think they can be trusted to complete the 300,000 by end of 2018, afterall they completed the FTTC rollout on time, it too got off to a slow start from what I remember. Cabs not finished that are held up on planning problems is outside their control.

I reckon it will take most of 2017 for Open Eir to catch up to where they should be with alot of momentum starting next week.

The 66 towns has been put on the back burner for a reason, why put all the effort into that when there won't be many sales in areas where there is already loads of competition.

It's also obvious that the blue line project is a thing because of the NBP contracts. There are several roads between Dunshaughlin and Ashbourne that are blue lined at the start and at the end with a few bits of blue lines in the middle and gaps inbetween which are NBP areas. If Eir do blue line all these sections by 2018, how are a rival company meant to service these gaps if all the other sections are Eir's network. It really is putting the opposition in a very tough spot if they have to fill in the gaps and don't have access to the blue lined sections.

rob808 · 29-12-2016 10:14PM

Gonzo wrote: »

I think they can be trusted to complete the 300,000 by end of 2018, afterall they completed the FTTC rollout on time, it too got off to a slow start from what I remember. Cabs not finished that are held up on planning problems is outside their control.

I reckon it will take most of 2017 for Open Eir to catch up to where they should be with alot of momentum starting next week.

The 66 towns has been put on the back burner for a reason, why put all the effort into that when there won't be many sales in areas where there is already loads of competition.

It's also obvious that the blue line project is a thing because of the NBP contracts. There are several roads between Dunshaughlin and Ashbourne that are blue lined at the start and at the end with a few bits of blue lines in the middle and gaps inbetween which are NBP areas. If Eir do blue line all these sections by 2018, how are a rival company meant to service these gaps if all the other sections are Eir's network. It really is putting the opposition in a very tough spot if they have to fill in the gaps and don't have access to the blue lined sections.

Enet used Eir poles for kerry FTTH trail so Eir will make money one way or another win or loose siro a different story.

KOR101 · 30-12-2016 02:42PM

Allison Puny Appetite wrote: »

Apparently eir were willing to commit to a guarantee before although what the terms were was never disclosed.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/eir-open-to-giving-broadband-commitment-to-300000-homes-and-businesses-400390.html

Legal action seems likely no matter what option the Department chooses.

It depends on how the EU interprets it's rule that the government can't interfere where there are commercial plans. EIR are clearly blowing smoke here, but they may be doing just enough to win the argument with the EU. You'd want to be an expert on EU law.

tsue921i8wljb3 · 30-12-2016 03:05PM

It will be interesting to see what happens if the Department does not remove the 300K premises from the map. Anecdotally Openeir seem to have done a lot of preparatory work even in areas originally scheduled for 2020. Will they then strategically begin to enable areas thereby ruling those premises out of state intervention?

It seems to me the most likely reason why the rollout has been so slow up to now. It is comparable to a game of infrastructure chess.

Eir rural FTTH thread

Comments