Lobby group hails group broadband plans

dahamsta

Lobby group hails group broadband plans
Friday, May 14 2004
by Ciaran Buckley

The launch of the country's group broadband scheme has been welcomed by Ireland Offline, a broadband lobby group that was initially critical of the proposals.

The details of the scheme were outlined on Thursday by Dermot Ahern, Ireland's Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, at a seminar in Athlone. The goal of the scheme is to provide high-speed Internet access into smaller communities throughout the country over the next three years.

The government has allocated EUR25 million to the project, with funding of up to 55 percent available for individual projects, depending on the funding status of the community involved. The scheme is open to all smaller and rural communities of less then 1,500 people. Half of the funding is provided at the commercial launch of the service, with the balance allocated when the scheme reaches the minimum subscriber targets for the projects. The scheme is modelled on the Group Water Scheme and allows local communities to draw up and implement broadband plans in partnership with broadband service providers.

"It's very positive, it's a chance for communities outside the pale to get themselves connected," said Christian Cooke, chairman of Ireland Offline, speaking to ElectricNews.Net.

Initially the scheme had been criticised by Ireland Offline, which said that the proposal wouldn't work, mainly because low population density areas can't support profitable broadband, citing a recent Eircom presentation which showed that the installation of a phone line in rural areas is about three times that in an urban area.

The group said that under the proposed scheme, broadband service providers may only agree to start service in small towns where significant profits can be made, with all other towns left behind. It also said that in towns where broadband is established, there would be only one provider, creating local monopolistic franchises. In fact, Ireland Offline said that the initiative bore no resemblance to the Group Water Scheme which had provided affordable clean water to rural community groups throughout the country. But Ireland Offline has changed its stance in response to government clarifications.

"Initially it seemed that it would be a requirement for communities to partner with a telecommunications operator, but we've had confirmation that this isn't the case," he said. "The way is now clear for communities to set up their own broadband service."

Cooke said that communities could use any broadband technology they chose, whether cable, DSL, fibre-optic or wireless and commented that setting up a scheme should be within the capabilities of any community.

"There is no pixie dust involved in becoming a broadband provider," Cooke said.

spongebob

Good stuff, at least he was listening after the original announcement in March and fine tuned the overall proposal accordingly.

The Full speech is Here should anyone be interested.

M

viking

Missed this GBS roadshow myself due to work commitments.

Muck, empty your PM mailbox will ya?

G

thegills

Initially it seemed that it would be a requirement for communities to partner with a telecommunications operator, but we've had confirmation that this isn't the case

Were has this been confirmed? The 1st call for proposals which is still in force states the opposite!!
thegills

Xian

Originally posted by thegills
Were has this been confirmed?

In a letter from Dermot, 23 March:

"Whilst it is recognised that in the majority of cases community organisations will seek to partner with existing recognised and authorised broadband service providers, it is not a condition of the scheme that they must do so."

They have declined a request to have this made explicit in the 1st Call for Proposals.

Regarding the "authorised" service providers, a ComReg spokesperson at the event confirmed that a co-op providing a community with broadband is de facto authorised. It is not even necessary to notify ComReg of the existence of the network.

MDR

"It's very positive, it's a chance for communities outside the pale to get themselves connected," said Christian Cooke, chairman of Ireland Offline, speaking to ElectricNews.Net.

Funding is only available to small rural communties. Is it possible we could end up with a rake of some medium sized towns that Eircom is bothered providing with broadband and don't qualify for help setting broadband up for themselves ?

Furthermore the Wireless Providers are really letting us down in Dublin. The great white hope for alternative infrastructure, is becoming more of a white elephant. Now granted they have their 3.5 ghz licenses and are susposed to be gearing up for mass provision, but I have heard this all before, I am becoming very dis-illusioned by the whole thing.

Ripwave suggested once that the provision of products and services is often driven in the major population centres and grow to the rest of the country from there, and I suppose that that has been the case with Eircom DSL to certain extent. Smart look set to repeat the process with broadband over LLU in the same fashion.

However I can't understand what happened with the wireless providers, why wasn't provision driven by the major urban centres, as has been the case in may parts of Europe, was the demand that bad, where the high points so hard to find, did the licenses become to little to late ...

Where is Dublin's Alternative Network ?

thegills

Now granted they have their 3.5 ghz licenses and are susposed to be gearing up for mass provision, but I have heard this all before, I am becoming very dis-illusioned by the whole thing

MDR, don't give up just yet. It takes time to rollout a wireless broadband network, the main obstacles being good radio sites and radio backhaul (Most MAN's aren't yet in a position to offer backhaul). I would have confidence that at least 2 of the license holders have real plans for outside Dublin.
thegills

dahamsta

Well, according to ENN, IBB launched down here this week. Again. We found some WMDs, but no sign yet of the IBB antennae. Hans Blix has been admitted to St. Annes. Film at eleven.

adam