ESB broaband in Independent today ?

chill

Anyone know what it says in the article in the Independent today

Richieh

Check it out here

http://www.unison.ie/stories.php3?ca=184&si=1071973

spongebob

The ESB will not sell BB connections to consumers and small to medium business....except in Tuam

M

rymus

what a kick in the stones...

thegills

Rymus,

Not to worry. As soon as the MAN's are completed, the likes of Hibernia Atlantic will sort you out.

thegills

elexes

Originally posted by Richieh
Check it out here

http://www.unison.ie/stories.php3?ca=184&si=1071973

can somone copy and paist that as i dont have a sub

eirebhoy

ESB to offer broadband web nationwide before Christmas
Thursday November 6th 2003

ESB Telecom is poised to switch on its €50m fast internet access service, marking its return to the telecoms sector by providing the first nationwide wholesale broadband coverage in Ireland.

The service will go live before Christmas with the Northern Loop, linking Dublin with the North-West and South-West of the country from Dundalk down to Clare, close to finalisation, the Irish Independent has learned.

It is believed that the completion of the loop could help the push towards cheaper broadband services around the country, in addition to the provision of services where there is no coverage by existing telecoms providers piggybacking on the ESB network.

Ireland currently has very low broadband penetration and little competition in the sector.

Initially, ESB Telecom will remain a carrier's carrier, or a wholesale provider, but it is believed that in the longer term the company could provide a retail service.

It will target operators like Eircom, Esat BT and UTV internet with its services which it will provide by wrapping its power lines with broadband-enabled fibre optic cables.

Currently Eircom, Ireland's main telecoms operator, has 60pc broadband coverage around the country with 70pc coverage expected by the end of the year, but unlike ESB it can provide retail services in the areas it has coverage.

The ESB is still testing the retail market, and is currently operating a pilot programme in Co Galway in association with the Department of Communications.

It is believed that the State electricity supplier does not have the resources at present to make a full-scale move into the retail market.

Apart from Eircom, the ESB is the only potential retail provider that has access into every home in the country, and would therefore be able to offer consumers discounted services.

The ESB is in a position to roll out broadband services faster than standard networks because it does not require any digging up of roads.

The electricity provider switched on the first part of its network, the Southern Loop, earlier this year. It links Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.

ESB first entered the telecoms sector when it set up Ocean in the mid-1990s with British Telecom. The State company made a profit of around €130m when it sold its Ocean stake to BT in 2000.

Prior to the sale, it dropped a High Court challenge to BT's £1.9bn agreed bid for telecoms firm Esat.

The State-owned company had argued that Ocean's shareholder agreement with BT precluded the British firm from competing in the telecoms market against Ocean.

Ailish O'Hora

elexes

thx