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Broadband in the South West - becoming a reality?

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  • 08-07-2003 9:47am
    #1
    Dangger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭


    From ENN
    Ireland's South West Regional Authority is testing services that will see thousands get low-cost broadband in a scheme that involves satellites and Wi-Fi.

    The organisation, which promotes the coordinated delivery of public services in Cork City, County and in Co. Kerry, said it is testing the service with the aid of networking hardware firm 3Com and Irish wireless broadband services company Ildana. 3Com is providing the "last-mile" 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless connections, while Ildana is providing the satellite package from Massachusetts-based iDirect.

    The European Space Agency's Telecommunications Applications Programme is also supporting the initiative, which is to serve as a test bed for the possible launch of similar services throughout the EU. Intel is understood to be another partner in the scheme, which should last until the end of the simmer.

    The premise of SWRA's plan is simple: about 2,000 homes and small businesses in the South West will be connected to broadband using 802.11b hook-ups. These wireless LANS (WLANs), which will give users connections speeds of up to 11Mbps, are tied in to the satellite broadband service. During the three-month trial, users will receive the broadband access for free, but it's hoped that the trial can be turned into a commercial venture that will see participants pay only about EUR25 per month for a broadband connection, about half the going rate for DSL in Ireland.
    For more information on the South West Regional Authority broadband project, visit the organisation Web site. SWRA is hosting a three-day seminar starting 09 October to discuss the findings of the broadband initiative.


Comments

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    #2
    raeGten
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭raeGten


    That's a great idea.
    I wonder when we'll see Eircom evaluate demand for broadband by giving everybody 6 months of FREE access!!?


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    #3
    Dangger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 749 ✭✭✭Dangger


    Well IrelandOffline have been invited to the launch of the Bantry initiative so we'll report back as to how it is going.


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    #4
    BigEejit
    Registered Users Posts: 3,739 ✭✭✭BigEejit


    I'm not sure what flavour this broadband is ...

    Is it a Satellite uplink and downlink distributed by WiFi? .. (802.11a?b?g? or some more expensive not-off-the-shelf equipment?)


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    #5
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    Fair play if they got the broadband source to work. Looks like they've changed the source of sat broadband. Last time corkwan saw this the connection to the net was slower than dialup and they were under the illusion that a card in the computer without an antenna could pick up the signal from the POP 3 miles away.

    I for one hope this works because some people in the SWRA and Cork County Council worked hard on this idea.


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