Cheapest internet use in Europe, promises Esat BT

From The Sunday Times - Business June 01, 2003
Cheapest internet use in Europe, promises Esat BT
Stephen O’Brien, Irish Political Correspondent
EIRCOM and Esat BT are to make flat-rate internet access available to dial-up web users for less than €30 a month. The move will offer domestic internet customers an alternative to “per minute” billing and help cut costs for heavier home users. ComReg, the telecoms regulator, has reached agreement with both Eircom and Esat BT, to make the service available from June 27.

Esat BT has pledged to come in cheaper than any rate offered by its competitors, although it is not clear if the rival packages will be readily comparable with each other.

It is expected that Eircom will offer a three-tier package of flat-rate fees based on light, medium and heavy useage.

Dermot Ahern, the communications minister, announced a policy directive to ComReg last year demanding that flat-rate access should be made available by the telecoms firms.

“Flat-rate means anyone at home on an ordinary 56kb connection will no longer have to be on a taxi meter clocking up a bigger phone bill the longer they stay on,” Ahern said.

The sub €30 price is being trumpeted by Department of Communications officials as the cheapest flat-rate in Europe.

Last month Ahern said he wanted to see flat-rate products marketed aggressively.

“Flat-rate will get people online and drive demand for higher bandwidth,” he said.

“I want companies to understand that broadband is coming — that every house in Ireland will eventually have broadband. So stop thinking in terms of short-term investment. Think long term — cut prices, play a volume game — you will make a return,” he said in a bullish speech.

Esat BT’s first domestic broadband customers will be switched on this month joining Eircom’s i-stream customers who have enjoyed the technology for more than a year.

Esat said more than 600 customers had pre-ordered DSL connections and 4,000 had made inquiries about the service.


Could the MODS please (remove/replace to jump to this post) the link to lycos in my message above. I will pulling mysite on lycos if they don't sort out their advertisement frame.