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spongebob

Confirmation in yesterdays Irish Times. Business Section , Page 4

Irish Times Friday, 19/09/03
Ambitions to be tech hub look silly in light of survey findings
The Republic is ranked 51st in terms of broadband penetration which is hardly likely to impress inward investors, writes Jamie Smyth,Technology Reporter

The Republic's ambitions to become a major technology hub looked somewhat foolish yesterday with the publication of an influential survey showing that the uptake of broadband is painfully slow.

Considerably less than one out of every 100 Irish citizens has currently subscribed to a broadband (high-speed internet) service, which is capable of transforming how people use their computers and technology.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ranks Ireland 51st in terms of broadband penetration behind developing nations such as .Peru and Croatia, hardly the kind of record that will impress inward investors.

Up there with Peru, cooooooooollllll. Jeez, the last survey has us at 47 an now its 51st.

I hope Mary Harney can find Peru on a map when she goes on a factfinding mission to find out what they have done right (by our standards)

milltown

"the uptake of broadband is painfully slow"

You have to laugh at that. Otherwise you'd just cry.

Capt'n Midnight

Do you have a link to the original survey results.
Just want to see how we did when you take into account:

our relatively high per capita income,
our stable government (three main parties are barely distinguishable)
our access to EU structural funds
our littercery (SP) rate
our ranking in terms of software and hardware exports
our lack of armed insurrection within the country

etc. etc.

To put this in perspecive - iQ Magazine, May/June 2001

According to META Group's Global New E-Economy Index, Ireland is underequipped for the proliferation of Internet business. The index ranks Ireland 25th overall in current global Internet business readiness, but improvements in the nation's computer power and usage numbers would move Ireland to a higher position. The Irish government has committed to improve Ireland's Internet infrastructure and broadband connectivity.
Ireland suffers from a shortage of trained technology workers, according to the Irish Internet Association... The same study reports that 47% of Irish adults have already received some form of training.
http://business.cisco.com/prod/tree.taf%3Fasset_id=47766&ID=48299&ListID=44753&public_view=true&kbns=1.html

spongebob

The press release is Here on the ITU site but I cannot find the survey itself. The ITU is the Telecommunications policy and standards body of the UN.

Congratulations to Peru. I suppose that they will humour Mary Harney when she leads the inevitable fact finding mission by a 'high powered' Irish delegation.

M

Fallschirmjager

cheap flight, 15,000 miles of cable, 1 long arm, how difficult could it be to connect to Peru.....

ai ing

The Irish government has committed to improve Ireland's Internet infrastructure and broadband connectivity.
Ireland suffers from a shortage of trained technology workers, according to the Irish Internet Association... The same study reports that 47% of Irish adults have already received some form of training.

Just to clear that up , its not 47% of people have received technology trainning only on how to use a computer