IBEC survey reveals dissatisfaction with telecommunication services

De Rebel

for what its worth......... Shock, Horror...........

IBEC survey reveals dissatisfaction with telecommunication services

A survey by IBEC's Telecommunications User Group has found that almost half of Irish companies are unhappy with the telecommunications infrastructure currently in place here.

Of the companies surveyed, 44% registered dissatisfaction with the services available.

This figure rose to 54% of companies situated outside the capital.

Siobhan Masterson, TUG executive with IBEC, has called on the Minister for Communications to reinvest in these areas.

from breakingnews.ie

Interesting the way this got slipped out on a bank holiday Monday, IBEC must be looking for something and trying not to upset the powers that be. Not a sign of it on ibec.ie, but would be a bit much expecting those dears to be working on a bank holiday.......

sceptre

The bank holiday release of such a damning survey indeed smells pretty fishy. I suppose IBEC don't have the resources to declare a war on some small country in order to divert the wee headline in the business sections:)

Of course it could just be coincidence but it's a trick so old it's become clichéd.

Why Siobhan Masterson is calling on the Department of Comms (who after all have been handing out millions on a limited number of useful projects and a large number of watery holes in the ground) to "reinvest in the areas" is another big question given the half-promise of a certain large telco to toss a billion euros on the table over the past few years. Her sights seem to be pointed in the wrong direction.

sceptre

Reading the equivalent article in the Indo...

The TUG has made recommendations so that the situation can be improved.

It has called on the Government to adopt the role of evangelist to preach the broadband gospel, as well as requesting that the Commission for Communications Regulation should develop a pricing template for all telecoms providers that would be updated regularly by the service providers.

"There is a strong need for transparency in telecommunications pricing to ensure customers can make informed choices when selecting their service provider," the report said.

A call for the government to act as evangelist makes more sense than asking them to "reinvest" so the Times may have erred.

Krouc

I read that in the newsrehashers as well. It seems every few months some group/body states what everyone knows. I remember working for a chamber of commerce for a large town (projected to have city status in the coming years) in Meath about five years ago and they had sent out a survey to all the local businesses, both home grown and from abroad. What was the biggest problem facing them? high cost voice, data and a failure to provide the advertised products. All supplied by the one and ONLY Eircom.

The results were send to local TD's, minister for comms and of course Alfie.

I am just annoyed at how its made to look like a *new* problem facing business in Ireland, actually facing everyone in little old Ireland.

K

De Rebel

Full text of the press release here

And here, for posterity

Telecommunications inadequate -TUG -survey - 04/08/2003

44% of business maintain that telecommunications infrastructure in Ireland is inadequate. This is according to preliminary findings of a survey of businesses released by IBEC's Telecommunications User Group (TUG). This survey tracked the views of companies previously surveyed in 2001 and shows an increase in the levels of dissatisfaction with standards of telecommunications provision in Ireland. Commenting on the findings, Siobhan Masterson, TUG Executive, said that the overall deterioration in the situation for business users since 2001 was disappointing and reflected a serious need for reinvestment in infrastructure in peripheral areas in Ireland. A competitive environment is important because when competition is available the lead-time of services is shortened; prices are reduced; innovative services begin to emerge and contract terms become more flexible.
Preliminary findings of the survey show:
· 44% of businesses maintain that telecommunications infrastructure in Ireland is inadequate. This figure compares to 30% in 2001. Even more companies located outside Dublin (54%) report this to be the case. Businesses stated that the current infrastructure is slow, delays in installations are too long and the quality of lines is poor. Of these companies, 75% state that lack of infrastructure has a negative impact on their business.
· Mobile communications service is uneven and inconsistent even in urban areas. 82% of businesses experienced coverage problems in non-urban areas compared to 75% in 2001. 58% experienced coverage problems in urban areas, a marginal improvement since 2001 (66%). In relation to mobile charges, 43% of businesses said that they had incurred international roaming charges while travelling along border counties in the Republic of Ireland.
· There is strong demand for broadband technology in Ireland. An overwhelming majority of businesses (76%), said they use or plan to use DSL technology if made available, although 70% of companies said that broadband was not available to them in their location. On price, 80% of companies state that the current broadband offerings are not competitively priced.
· 70% of businesses found it either "difficult" or " very difficult" to compare tariffs of different service providers in order to get the best deal, compared to 66% in 2001.
· The areas of most dissatisfaction for business are customer service (30%); complaint handling and redress (33%); timescale for delivery of new service (40%) and price (49%).
· Over half of businesses do not have a Service Level Agreement with their Service Provider, this situation has remained static since 2001.
· Businesses are aware of alternative service providers in the market. Two thirds of companies have changed their voice service provider, the majority of whom found it either "difficult" or "very difficult".
· 54% of companies based outside Dublin do not understand the term broadband.

The findings of the survey lead to a number of key recommendations:

Firstly, the Government needs to adopt the role of evangelist to preach the broadband gospel. All organisations: business, community and state need to understand in their own terms what the benefits of high-speed communications can bring. This will in turn stimulate the necessary demand to create a business case for operators to roll out the services needed.

Second, in areas where demand will never be sufficient to encourage service providers to enter the market, investment in infrastructure needs to be subsidised by Government to the extent that ensures the availability of all services everywhere.

Third, there is a strong need for transparency in telecommunications pricing to ensure customers can make informed choices when selecting their service provider. The Regulator should develop a pricing template for all telecom services, which would be updated regularly by the service providers.

"International experience tells us that a greater choice of technology will eventually come to Ireland, but that the speed at which it arrives is crucial to Ireland inc. It is of particular importance to this island nation. The survey confirms that despite a slowdown in the economy, demand for telecommunications products and services will continue to rise sharply, as businesses become increasingly reliant on modern and fast communications to operate effectively", concludes Masterson.

De Rebel

Somebody else may want to do a forensic on the above, I'll limit myself to higlighting how:

This established fact ............

There is strong demand for broadband technology in Ireland. An overwhelming majority of businesses (76%), said they use or plan to use DSL technology if made available, although 70% of companies said that broadband was not available to them in their location. On price, 80% of companies state that the current broadband offerings are not competitively priced.

Leads to conclusion Number 1..............

Firstly, the Government needs to adopt the role of evangelist to preach the broadband gospel. All organisations: business, community and state need to understand in their own terms what the benefits of high-speed communications can bring. This will in turn stimulate the necessary demand to create a business case for operators to roll out the services needed.

Can anybody, ANYBODY make sense of this??? 76% are now rearing to go , ready to adopt broadband when it is available and when the price is right. And IBEC/TUG wants a fukcink "evangelist to preach the broadband gospel." What do they need? 99% ???? This must stand as one of their most idiotic pronouncments for a long long time.

sceptre

Originally posted by De Rebel
Can anybody, ANYBODY make sense of this??? 70% are now rearing to go , ready to adopt broadband when it is available and when the price is right. And IBEC/TUG wants a fukcink "evangelist to preach the broadband gospel." What do they need? 99% ???? This must stand as one of their most idiotic pronouncments for a long long time.

You can join my "conclusions of press releases & articles make no sense" club. Like you say, doesn't make any sense unless the release was written by two people who weren't talking to one another.

De Rebel

What's of Real Concern here is the self same IBEC which spawned this flawed logic has been chosen by Government to Co-Chair (and indirectly form over 50% of) the Telecoms Strategy Group. Which interestingly enough in its interim report issues last month recommended this same demand side evangelization nonsense.

No doubt these findings will heavily influence the TSG's final report, which is supposed to address infrastructure issues. And of course they will also be influenced by conclusion number 2 above aka; "lets have lots of lovely Government handouts tanks very much"

If any of the Government members of the TSG are lurking here (or their informants) be alert people, all the danger signs are here present. These guys (who have a vested interest in the status quo) are setting the scene for hot air and calls for lots of Government expenditure. Hit them over the head with a big stick and tell them to get on with it. And meanwhile listen to IOFFLs ideas on alternative last mile which is the real solution to this nightmare.

nahdoic

There is one very small statement in that report, that just sums it all up for me.

The areas of most dissatisfaction for business are customer service (30%); complaint handling and redress (33%); timescale for delivery of new service (40%) and price (49%)

Even to anyone with their heads in the clouds, percentages like that should send their alarm bells ringing. I wish it went into more detail about their dissatisfaction.