NBP part II

ussjtrunks wrote: »

I wonder how the bidder for the contract feels about all this faffing about

I wonder if McCourt's team are contributing to the delay, re: sub-contracts, financials, etc.

Gonzo

Grab All Association wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/news/rollout-of-3bn-national-broadband-plan-delayed-yet-again-38498568.html

Delayed again, thanks to Timmy O’Tool no doubt.

no surprises there. It will probably take them a few more years to re-examine everything and set up a few more task forces and lengthy reports.

Is it not just an expected Imagine submission before Septenber 20th deadline?

celticbhoy27

The Cush wrote: »

Minister Richard Bruton on RTÉ's This Week programme at 1.00pm today, discussion includes the NBP.

Didn't get to tune in. Any new info come from the interview?

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Didn't get to tune in. Any new info come from the interview?

I was driving at the time and so not concentrating too much on the interview but from what I heard it was pretty much what was in the 2 articles in the Indo.

Listen back here - https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21619405

ussjtrunks

We're determined to do this. And we will do it as quickly as possible

Its kinda amazing they keep saying this when it keep getting delayed over and over again, its almost as bad as brexit at this stage

Messer1

According to the Sunday Business Post, the NBP plans to roll out services to an initial 350 key strategic community points using WIRELESS! These will be progressively replaced by fibre, presumably once the NBP has (expensively) rolled out its own fibre alongside eir's stuff. Meantime, SpaceX has indicated that it plans to launch 120-240 Starlink sats later this year and, all going well, will launch up to 1,400 next year depending on demand for its rideshare service which will charge at $5k per kg.

Orebro

Messer1 wrote: »

According to the Sunday Business Post, the NBP plans to roll out services to an initial 350 key strategic community points using WIRELESS! These will be progressively replaced by fibre.

SHOCK HORROR!

ussjtrunks

Its something that might need to be done tbh you cant just leave most of the country on rubbish speeds for 7 years while the rollout happens, depends if they use imagine etc or build their own infrastructure

The high horse brigade

Messer1 wrote: »

According to the Sunday Business Post, the NBP plans to roll out services to an initial 350 key strategic community points using WIRELESS! These will be progressively replaced by fibre, presumably once the NBP has (expensively) rolled out its own fibre alongside eir's stuff. Meantime, SpaceX has indicated that it plans to launch 120-240 Starlink sats later this year and, all going well, will launch up to 1,400 next year depending on demand for its rideshare service which will charge at $5k per kg.

GTFO with your SpaceX Starlink bullcrap. LEO has no place in this thread as it's not something rural Ireland should be planning a future with

Nice to see the word fibre firmly stated.

Rural Ireland "does not have a future in the 21st century" unless fibre broadband is delivered to every home, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Independent, the Taoiseach insisted that the Government was right to push ahead with the controversial National Broadband Plan.

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/no-future-for-rural-ireland-without-fibre-broadband-taoiseach-38505221.html

heavydawson

KOR101 wrote: »

Nice to see the word fibre firmly stated.

Rural Ireland "does not have a future in the 21st century" unless fibre broadband is delivered to every home, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Independent, the Taoiseach insisted that the Government was right to push ahead with the controversial National Broadband Plan.

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/no-future-for-rural-ireland-without-fibre-broadband-taoiseach-38505221.html

One quote slightly worried me:

Mr Varadkar said the Government was determined to get fibre on poles next year.

AKA, "we'll do our best". I'm not holding my breath. We now know there's an election in May/June next year. Not a stretch to see FG passing this hot potato off until that's over and done with, and I shudder to think what Timmy D & Co. might do to it if they came to power.

Nyum Nyum

This is never going to happen, is it?

Gonzo

Nyum Nyum wrote: »

This is never going to happen, is it?

This day next year we will probably still be here asking the same question.

celticbhoy27

Nyum Nyum wrote: »

This is never going to happen, is it?

Itl happen alright just a matter of when. Is it the 20th that is the cut off for commercial operators to submit offers to supply areas in the nbp zone? Thankfully doesn't look like any are making an application. Had been murmurings imagine would.

Orebro

In fairness, all the right noises are coming from Government now. I don't think the Taoiseach would be talking about FTTH being the only game in town if it wasn't going ahead. I'd say they are disappointed themselves it hasn't made the Ploughing deadline, but rest assured they'll make plenty of noise about it when it happens in a few weeks. Hopefully a nice Christmas present for everyone in rural Ireland that didn't win the Eir 300k lottery. Then the nay-sayers can talk about Elon and his magic satellites 'till kingdom come!

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Is it the 20th that is the cut off for commercial operators to submit offers to supply areas in the nbp zone? Thankfully doesn't look like any are making an application. Had been murmurings imagine would.

This Friday is the deadline but according to a press article I quoted recently all of them may be making submissions but not signing the committment.

Row erupts over Eir’s new rural broadband network - https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/row-erupts-over-eir-s-new-rural-broadband-network-1.4024215

Rivals say they are unable to connect customers to company’s new fibre network

A row has broken out in the telecoms industry over the quality of Eir’s new fibre broadband network to 300,000 rural households which were formerly part of the State-backed National Broadband Plan (NBP).
…
Despite Eir’s claims that it has successfully completed the project, passing the 300,000 homes with its fibre product, non-Eir operators using the network claim there are insufficient “dropping points” to connect prospective customers.

They also claim that “fail rates” on the network where operators try to connect customers but fail are as high as 12 per cent. Their grievances were aired at Eir’s own industry product forum on Wednesday, according to industry sources.

Eir denied there was an issue with the rollout of fibre to 300,000 homes. “Open Eir [the company’s wholesale arm] has not to date encountered a significant issue with the availability of drop points within the 300,000,” a spokesman said. A spokesperson for the Department of Communications was not available.

Emmanuel Lemon Louse wrote: »

Shots fired!

"234,092 amber premises covered" apparently.

https://www.imagine.ie

All quiet on the western front.....

KOR101 wrote: »

All quiet on the western front.....

Deadline extended again. Now set for the 30th of September. Timelines are certainly not their strong point.

A number of submissions have been received from small operators requesting a further extension to enable the finalisation of submissions currently under preparation and the Department has decided to grant a further extension...

celticbhoy27

Emmanuel Lemon Louse wrote: »

Deadline extended again. Now set for the 30th of September. Timelines are certainly not their strong point.

Bloody hell. Where you hearing this Emmanuel Lemon Louse?

https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/consultations/Pages/Conclusion-of-NBP-Mapping-Exercise.aspx

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Bloody hell. Where you hearing this navi?

Gonzo

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Extending it again is a joke. It might be only 10 days but its ten days towards another delay to analyse whatever pish these wireless submit

Companies submitting plans with just wireless tech shouldn't even be allowed submit. It should be FTTH only to qualify.

Marlow

celticbhoy27 wrote: »

Bloody hell. Where you hearing this navi? Deadline is a deadline if the clowns who are making submissions can't abide by them that's there problem. They got enough notice. Extending it again is a joke. It might be only 10 days but its ten days towards another delay to analyse whatever pish these wireless submit

I would figure, that one of the prblems is, that the Department wasn't quite following the guidelines for consultations as outlined by the DPER
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e9b052-consultation-principles-and-guidance/

"The amount of time required for a consultation will depend on the specifics of the proposal, its objectives and complexity, its likely impact, and the diversity and number of interested parties. Consultation should not make unreasonable demands of people being consulted or assume that they have unlimited time to devote to the consultation process"

They scheduled the consultation right in the middle of the holidays, so that may have backfired.

/M

But what is the point of a submission? The intervention map only changes if a committment contract is agreed and signed.

KOR101 wrote: »

But what is the point of a submission? The intervention map only changes if a committment contract is agreed and signed.

Not if they are claiming pre-existing coverage, which they likely are. They will have had to make a submission anyway if they intend going the legal route.

Emmanuel Lemon Louse wrote: »

Not if they are claiming pre-existing coverage, which they likely are.

Does the same criteria that applies for a commitment contract also apply for a claim of pre-existing coveerage? I don't see that the intervention map changes unless the criteria are met, and I don't see how the small wireless operators can do that.

KOR101 wrote: »

Does the same criteria that applies for a commitment contract also apply for a claim of pre-existing coveerage? I don't see that the intervention map changes unless the criteria are met, and I don't see how the small wireless operators can do that.

I assume they would have to meet the assessment criteria. I wonder though could the actual commitment contract be challenged legally. Could it be argued that is is an overbearing burden on operators? After all, it was an agreement between eir and DCCAE for a certain subset of premises. Why should other operators be subject to such a contract?

Marlow

The big issue is, that the proposed contract so far is so full of irregularities, backhanders and issues that would void it, that the 3bn investment is massively challenged. Especially when it has been proven that the targets can be met at a fraction of the budget. Even technically.

The whole issue is, that everyone is set on fibre. But that was never the actual target. The target was 30 Mbit/s now and 100 Mbit/s by 2025. Anyone expecting more is dreaming.

Of course FTTH would be nice. But at what cost to the tax payer when the takeup effectively is 10% or less. Especially the clause of the government paying compensation for lack of takeup is ludicrous.

/M