High Hopes for Electric Net

dahamsta

High Hopes for Electric Net

BRUSSELS -- Electricity companies want to give fresh meaning to the words plug-and-play by sending high speed Internet to the wall sockets in your home.

The first world conference of electric companies, equipment makers and others gathered for a day this week in efforts to make the Internet even more ubiquitous by channeling it through power lines into homes.

"Within minutes of opening the box, the customer can be on the Internet," Keith McLean, who heads the Internet project for Scottish and Southern Energy in Perth, Scotland, said late on Tuesday.

The modem plugs into the wall, then the computer. No extra software is needed. The three-dozen players who attended the Power Line Communications meeting from Europe, Japan and the United States hope for big growth, although obstacles remain.

So far, Scottish and Southern has run a pilot project of 200 people using the system. It is about to launch a new test system to serve 15,000 people in limited areas at 29.99 pounds ($50) a month.

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MDR

Its seems the ESB are quite reluctant (as has been discussed before) to enter the last mile internet market. Perhaps the government will exert some pressure on them to enter this market, who knows ?

This would come under the realms of IOFFL's new campaign for the realistation of an alternative infrastructure (it doesn't necessarily have to be wireless, it just has to work). it might be worth going to speak with them at least.

I have to say I can't blame them for being reluctant to enter the quagmire that is the internet market in Ireland. However ala National Toll Roads/IBB they would have plenty of money and backhaul, not to have to worry to much about the existing players....

DeVore

God is it that time already? or is the obligatory ESB IN BROADBAND SHOCKER post early this month...

I'd be less sarcastic if they actually had *anything* to show...

DeV

dahamsta

The ESB is 95 per cent owned by the Government of Ireland, with the remaining shares held by an employee share option trust. They don't have to exert pressure, they can simply order their management team to enter the last-mile Internet market. They could do it tomorrow morning at 9am if they wished. Considering the utter incompetence with which they handled the Eircom privatisation, I personally feel that they have a responsibility to do it. They gave away our last mile, which was without question detrimental to our society, there should be a responsibility on them to provide an alternative.

Two quick additions:

1) They don't need to enter the last-mile Internet market as many here would understand it, in fact they shouldn't do so. They should provide the infrastructure for others to enter the last-mile market at wholesale rates, with a reasonable return on investment.

2) If any members of the ESB SOT are here, this is a good thing, not a bad thing. The ROI from this would be guaranteed. It would be an important steadying factor on your shares.

adam

andrew163

Alright, so let's all start lobbying the government about this...

TD's, Ministers, anybody with an ounce of power?

This should be something that IrelandOffline pushes hard for, because according to another post I read here, ESB are very good at managing infrastructure, and they could really shock eircom into doing something properly for once. Also, the ESB network is of good quality and reaches almost every building in the country.

Mr_Man

In to-day's SBP the front page contains an article on how the Gubmt plans to hold on to the ESB grid, if the rest of the company is privatised. The reason is that we've (the taxpayer) paid for the upgrade of the thing and want to get a return on our investment. Could Dermot Ahern also have an eye on the use of the infrastructure as a way to provide BB access - perhaps we should nudge him in that direction......

M.

dahamsta

It's more likely they've just realised the utter foolishness of the Eircom selloff, and have learned from their mistake. A bizarre concept to get your head around I know, but...

adam

spongebob

They are

• Tadhg O'Donoghue (Chairman)
• Joe LaCumbre (Deputy Chairman)
• Padraig McManus (Chief Executive)
• Bernard Byrne
• Eamonn Connolly
• Eoin Fahy
• Georgina Kenny
• John McGinley
• William McKee
• Derry O'Donovan
• Pat Smith
• Anne Taylor

BIOS and contact details can be found
Here . Some are no doubt Fianna Fáil hacks on a jolly.....normal with semi states. Do remind them of the wise words of Biddy O'Rourke and Dermot Ahern on the plan to have 5Mbits in every house in Ireland by March 2005........and than encourage them to play their part. Some are worker directors.

M

Mr_Man

The worker directors seem to be John Mc Ginley and Pat Smith.

If anyone from Athlone is interested in getting broadband via their lecky they should try Georgina Kenny.

M.

Stonemason

This particular paragraph is quite annoying.

ESB Chairman, Tadhg O Donoghue said the installation of the broadband network is a continuation of ESB's commitment to Irish society, "As a company ESB has a proud history of public service over the past 75 years. It is a story of partnership, innovation and expansion. Todays development represents an exciting advance in the provision of broadband infrastructure in Ireland".

1.a continuation of ESB's commitment to Irish society.

In the past but what about now ???


2.As a company ESB has a proud history of public service over the past 75 years.

jeez lads just sit back pat ye selfs on the back and say weve worked hard for the 75 years we will take a break now !!.

3.It is a story of partnership, innovation and expansion. Todays development represents an exciting advance in the provision of broadband infrastructure in Ireland.

Like ok build a super duper highly expencive fiber network (with tax payers money)then let it rott coz no one can get at it (they didnt answer my request for costings) if they think holding a canteen of fresh clear water just out of reach of people dying of thirst is helping they need to rethink there understanding of the words public service.

As mentioned above by dahamsta if the government wanted to they could tell the ESB to start taking that last one mile step tomoro.I for one dont beleive the irish government is ignorant of this technology.It begs the question WHY havent they.


Im still not sure this is the way to go though as i thought there was a 2mb limit on this technology ?(could be wrong).This doesnt suit the EU directive for a 5mb connection for all by 2005, but then again neither does ADSL or RDSL so why pump millions into a soon to be redundant technology.

PiE

No direct contact details on that page Muck, not even an email addy.

I've sent an email off to service@esb.ie anywho.

Anybody got a list of addresses of the people we should be talking to about this? I really think IOFFL should focus on this issue.

dahamsta

Their postal address is ESB, Lr. Fitzwilliam St, Dublin 2, I don't see any reason why you couldn't write to each of the directors and appeal directly to them. As to others you could appeal to, your TD's and Dermot Ahern would be a good start.

adam