Irish brothers...we got our first DSL prices..from a private company (bastards!)

Originally posted by Sovjohn
256/128 k DSL: 112 Euros/month, VAT included.
384/256 DSL: 148 Euros/month, VAT included.
512/256 DSL: 172 Euros/month, VAT included.

What are the download caps like?

That is absolutely scandalous and i am amazed it is allowed to happen.

an eu telco regulator would be nice

Originally posted by Sovjohn
Download caps? Sorry, my English are quite advanced but I dont know ALL words:)

If you are referring to any limits (in total data transfer, or in time online) there aren't any.

In the Irish context the "cap" is the former - typically 3Gigs per month on the former state controlled Eircom's i-stream network (you can visit their pathetic website here! www.adsl.ie. (Note that Irish DSL prices quoted therein do not include VAT because it is only available for business customers). Please don’t give them fresh ideas about adding a “time online” surcharge to DSL tariffs too!

Excess data traffic costs EUR 30,- per Gig. eg updating your Linux operating system via download might cost an extra EUR 90 in traffic fees alone + VAT. i.e. eircom DSL is not “flat rate” unless one can afford their “enhanced” service which costs EUR 209 per month!

When I first saw Vivodi's (looks not unlike Vivendi!) "DSL bundle" I thought that they might be unbundling your incumbent's line and offering a package of DSL internet + voice telephony down the copper pair. Alas they seem to be using "smart box auto dialler" for the PSTN call setup : - (

The only way to wake up the incumbents in dozy countries like Greece and Ireland AFAICS is large scale unbundling of the loop with an alternative operator offering both DSL and their own dialtone in a package. This would allow you to exchange your incumbent’s service with an alternative providing perhaps up to 4 voice lines + DSL internet over the single copper pair, and make the combined monthly bill attractive for the service provider – particularly if it included cable TV via the DSL segment.

The Irish market is in a particularly difficult position because it is essentially a bi-nopoly of the Irish incumbent and the British incumbent - ie two, dozy, old style state owned, don’t rock the boat, telco types – ie two incumbents basically. For 512k DSL, Eircom charge EUR 89 and ESAT BT charge EUR 90 + VAT (ie about EUR 108 incl VAT).

Sadly eircom’s market share has been increasing in many segments of late. While many EU governments are planning for 50 – 60% market shares for their incumbents between 2005-2010, eircom will probably retain 90%+ in all but a few areas. The monthly subscription for a phone line has been going up and up over the past few years and is now almost twice what one might pay elsewhere in Europe. One wouldn’t mind this if phone calls charges were falling. Calls to other European destinations typically cost 2 to 8 times as much when made from Ireland compared with inbound calls received from say France, Germany or Switzerland – using the incumbent network in all cases.

While Ireland has anti-monopoly laws with relatively tough penalties (fine = 10% of revenues), the Competition Authority charged with preventing monopoly abuse won’t touch Eircom because they say it is regulated by ComReg. In fact ComReg are little more than an “arbitration panel” acting between eircom and its “competitors” dealing with intra industry disputes. This leaves the consumer (who are still relying an quaint telecommunications laws dating back to the last century “Telegraph Acts”!) with no rights when it comes to the biggest matter in the scale of things – ie abuse of a monopoly.


R.