[Press Release] Digiweb Preregister

dahamsta

PRESS RELEASE
Dundalk, Tuesday 12th August 2003

Vote for Broadband !
Innovative broadband services provider DIGIWEB are inviting individuals, towns and communities to register their interest in receiving broadband services in their area, and this will guide the company’s ongoing service rollout plans and accelerate availability in those areas where genuine demand exists.

Noted for introducing wireless broadband services this year into a number of rural and regional areas which the larger telecoms operators were tending to ignore, the company already has services live through County Louth (Ardee, Dunleer, Knockbridge, Dundalk, Drogheda, Blackrock), and will announce services in locations through counties Meath and Cavan over coming weeks.

Selected by both the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources, and by the Border Midland Western Regional Assembly, in their respective competitive calls for broadband services rollout, DIGIWEB is building an un-matched expertise and experience in this sector – working in many cases with local interest groups or community representatives to establish, promote and deliver these services.

“We’ve been inundated with requests to deliver broadband in locations throughout the country, so we’ve established this online registration to provide an indicator as to level and location of demand. Unlike the ‘trigger levels’ indicated by the larger operators, our technical and economic models permit us to deliver cost-effective broadband services in much smaller regions” stated Colm Piercy, Managing Director. “We’re keen to meet with any local interests who wish to accelerate broadband availability in their town or region”.

Such registration of interest has previously proven effective in other countries in guiding the rollout of broadband services, and was encouraged in the most recent report from the Telecoms Strategy Group. DIGIWEB state they will prioritise any location which can demonstrate a demand level of 30 businesses or 60 home users – considerably lower than levels mooted by Eircom this week.

To “vote for broadband” for your town or region, simply visit http://wireless.digiweb.ie/preregister.asp

spongebob

If you do register you'll possibly get a call from a muppet trying to sell you a VSAT and not a Wireless connection....thats unless you live in the north east where there will (or may) be a real wireless alternative.

I would commend you to register if you live in any of Meath / Louth / Cavan / Monaghan . So far they use Alvarion kit in the unlicenced 2.4Ghz band.

M

Urban Weigl

That's what I thought, but interestingly they do not ask for a telephone number, which seems a little odd (the only form of contact they are looking for is email).

spongebob

They will be also applying for the 3.5Ghz frequencies in the forthcoming (shoulda been yesterday) round of licences. At least they expressed an interest in them some months back.

M

Paddy20

Urban Weigl,

Quote, "but interestingly they do not ask for a telephone number"end quote. Strange, when I registered my interest and that of my local community group. I had to put my telephone number on the expression of interest form?..

Eurorunner

I had to put my telephone number on the expression of interest form?..

Not for Digiweb paddy:D


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Paddy20

Eurorunner,

Yes, it looks that way, but when I actually followed through and went to their website. I requested that an information package be sent out too my home address, on the form that presents itself, and on that one I had to put my telephone number, for sure.

Have you or Urban Weigl actually gone through the process, apart from just looking at the first form that presents itself?..

P.;)

Urban Weigl

I have, and was never asked to enter a telephone number.

I'm thinking that perhaps you filled out their other form (they have another form to get an information pack, which does ask for a telephone number, but that's elsewhere on their web site).

Paddy20

Yep, I filled in two forms. It was early for me, and I did ask for an info pack!.

P.

spongebob

Originally posted by Muck
I would commend you to register if you live in any of Meath / Louth / Cavan / Monaghan . So far they use Alvarion kit in the unlicenced 2.4Ghz band.

I was nearly right. They are only interested in Louth Meath and Cavan so scratch Monaghan. Thats according to a story on Silicon Republic ( www.siliconrepublic.com ) . You would not think so from the 'expressions' page on their site wouldya ? If you live outside those counties they will probably try to offload that crappy Gilat VSAT of theirs on you instead.

Their trigger level for the unlicenced Alvarion kit they use (same as the IBB kit until recently) is a Demonstrated 30 Biz or 60 Home connections or a 1:2 admixture thereof, again from that Silicon Republic article.

M

ceepee

Muck - not quite. We are interested in all areas across Ireland (north & south) with a demonstrated broadband demand. Louth, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and parts of *counties* Dublin and Kildare are the areas we will reach first under our own steam.

We don't and never have (not so far anyway) used Alvarion.

I'm pleased to report that with our Gilat 360/E system we have hundreds of delighted customers - typically teleworkers, business and education - across the island (in town and rural locations) using the service. We did very briefly (as in weeks) introduce an older platform which was not a runner, and this was swiftly replaced. Please don't tar our good service with whatever reports you've heard from users of services from certain large telcos -- you're not comparing like with like.

As you've raised questions over vsat services from time to time, we'd be delighted to have you come visit and spend some time testing out the system directly yourself if you'd like?

Anyway - don't want to be a bore but just wanted to clarify those points.

Colm.
(Digiweb .... as if you hadn't guessed by now).

BArra

i got an email from digiweb a while back telling me that their satellite service would be introducing a 1.5gig cap on the service in the start of 2004 in january,

1.5gigs, its laughable, care to confirm that ceepee

Dangger

Colm,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the facts! Interaction with operators is something we have been fortunate to have on the forum over the past 12 months and IOFFL are grateful to the operators who are willing to take part in the great debate in such a public manner.

Regards,

David Long
IrelandOffline

molinaalexis

Any body here from Longford

PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, send your interest , i have done it

spongebob

Originally posted by ceepee
Muck - not quite. We are interested in all areas across Ireland (north & south) with a demonstrated broadband demand. Louth, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and parts of *counties* Dublin and Kildare are the areas we will reach first under our own steam.

OK, so my guess was more accurate than Silicon Republic, thats cool.

We don't and never have (not so far anyway) used Alvarion.

who supply pretty OK unlicenced band kit as it happens. Who does supply you with wireless kit in the unlicenced 2.4Ghz band BTW?

I'm pleased to report that with our Gilat 360/E system we have hundreds of delighted customers - typically teleworkers, business and education - across the island (in town and rural locations) using the service. We did very briefly (as in weeks) introduce an older platform which was not a runner, and this was swiftly replaced. Please don't tar our good service with whatever reports you've heard from users of services from certain large telcos -- you're not comparing like with like.

Humm, I was fiddling with one of your Gilat installs west of the Shannon only last week. I am not a fan of VSAT in general CeeJay. I think that we need something better in this country. Your interest in the 3.5Ghz licencing round, now under way, tends to prove that we both agree on that. My opinion is based on observation and experience not on what telcos say.

M

ceepee

however, even 3.5Ghz and all the various other moves afoot will never deliver 100% broadband coverage by themselves (unless there are further *significant* regulatory changes).

there is and will be for a very, very long time a substantial demand and position for vsat, and for most businesses and similar across the country it remains the best option (and has become much more cost and speed effective than trying to hobble along with ISDN or dialup).

sure, its not for online gaming, which may be the requirement of some, but it was never designed for this and we do try to be clear about its applications on our website. Overwhelmingly our approach and technology choices have resulted in satisfied customers on the service. There will inevitably be the occasional exception - though even these situations normally arise from mis-config on the end-user side (.... such as attempts to connect ISDN routers to the vsat, and other such fun as we see from time to time!).

as you say though, 3.5 will be interesting - but as a country we haven't yet found in that the holy grail of nationwide BB in a single technology. We believe it will only be achieved through a mix of various options - Wireless, Satellite & DSL.

CP

Third_Echelon

have to agree with muck on this one.... the VSAT option should always be the last one.. its not bad, but it aint great... its the expense that is the main drawback, but i suppose if you cant get access to dsl on the local loop you dont really have an alternative unless wireless is available...

I personally wouldnt use a digiweb service, as a previous customer, i've found them to be too expensive at times and difficult to deal with....

the only thing that puts me off the digiweb wireless service is the whole cap thing, which is stupidly low for the price you pay...

ceepee, do you think it might be a good idea to get into the dsl market, i.e. a netsource type of idea and offer unlimited dsl services for a decent price which is both affordable and has a good service... i got a netsource connection and i've had relatively little problems with them... i was going to purchase the digiweb wireless package but the netsource package wiped the floor with it...

are digiweb going to get into the dsl market at all or are you sticking with wireless... and if not are the prices for your wireless service going to come down anytime soon?

spongebob

We could go around the houses on this for ages.

I agree with your delivery method analysis, we probably would not agree on the balance of priorities but no matter.

VSAT will always have a niche, I am not a fan of lightweight VSAT/Wi-Fi combo systems being pawned off on rural Ireland as Broadband however.

M

Paddy20

ceepee/Colm,

Must just second David Longs sentiments, and welcome you as a business that is prepared to interact openly with people on this IrelandOFFlines Forum, hosted by Boards.ie, of course.

May I be so bold as to ask your jod/title or position in Digiweb?.. just in case I or perhaps someone else needs to get in touch, it is always nice know with whom one is dealing in business and use their individual title in correspondence etc, as a matter of courtesy.

P.

sceptre

Originally posted by Paddy20
May I be so bold as to ask your jod/title or position in Digiweb?.. just in case I or perhaps someone else needs to get in touch, it is always nice know with whom one is dealing in business and use their individual title in correspondence etc, as a matter of courtesy.

Dahamsta's article mentions that the MD for Digiweb is Colm Piercy. Colm's nick is ceepee. I'll let you draw your own dots & join them (the PM system is available to all for conversations remember).

Paddy20

sceptre,

Thanks, but I did not see Dahamstas article!, I am not psychic
and I am aware of the PMs function.

P.

sceptre

Originally posted by Paddy20
Thanks, but I did not see Dahamstas article!, I am not psychic

Takes up 100% of the first post in this thread. Worth reading.

Paddy20

Right, thanks again, and I will now read it.

P.

Dawg

ceepee, do you think it might be a good idea to get into the dsl market

Maybe if they offered it further down the line, but I'd personally much prefer to see them concentrate on getting a good wireless service out to as many people as possible. Thankfully, this seems to be the approach they are taking. I'm probably in the minority whereby my line passed the dsl tests last week but I'm still going to wait it out for the wireless providers to get coverage in the area (yes, dumping my landline does mean that much to me. Whats another month or two in the grand scheme of things.). A choice between dsl and wireless is a damn sight better than the option of another radsl reseller.

Welcome to boards ceepee, I hope to see your services up and running in north Fingal soon..

dahamsta

ceepee, welcome to Boards, thanks for joining us and joining in.

adam