Ask Eircom or ComReg a question

dahamsta

While perusing some of the survey comments earlier on I came across a question that someone had asked Eircom: "Do Eircom have engineers who test failed lines for faults?" Obviously I can't give a definitive answer to that, but a stifled laugh would be the reaction you'd get if you asked me in person. In other words the odds are pretty slim in my view.

However it occurred to me at the time that it's probably been a while since Eircom and ComReg had some difficult questions put their way, and the very least we could do in this transitionary period of IrelandOffline's life is compile a list. So let's get started, shall we? We'll use the query above as the first for Eircom (just for the laugh), and I'll throw in one for ComReg:

Q. When, precisely, will ComReg be defining a minimum data rate that Eircom will be required to provide over their telephone lines?

Don't worry too much about phrasing, if we get a good reaction we'll probably pick the ten best questions and fiddle around with them a bit anyway, so Eircom and ComReg can't weasel their way out of them with political answers.

adam

cgarvey

s/date/data/g

.cg (who realises he is being adventurous with the 'g' modifier.. and who has just watched the Clint Power episode, calssic)

damien

I'd like to know the % of line failures for dsl.

And better still I'd like to see the % of line failures of those that applied for it.

Edit: Added the word "line" before "failures" for fear of the smart arses

eircomtribunal

When you are in asking mode, please pop this question to Eircom and Comreg:
What is their definition of a "broadband line"?
a) A line that originates from a broadband enabled exchange or
b) A line that is able to give an enduser a broadband connection.

Background to my question:

I challenged an Eircom ad (which is also one of the first pages of Eircom's Annual report 2004) with ASAI, where Eircom stated: "1 million broadband lines from Westport to Wicklow one total commitment. Already, over 1 million lines are broadband enabled, which makes this technology available to the large majority of our customers."

Eircom's response to my claim, put to them by the ASAI, that they had merely one million lines originating from broadband enabled exchanges but not one million lines able to carry broadband is as follows (paraphrased by ASAI, but otherwise unchanged form the original Eircom letter): "Eircom say they had over 1.1 million lines connected to broadband enabled exchanges as of the date of the advertisement in question. As they are all capable of running broadband, they stand over their claim that over a million lines are broadband enabled. The fact is that broadband technology is available to the vast majority of their customers...Eircom say they make no claim to the percentage of their customers on broadband enabled lines within the advertising in question."

An interesting Eircom response, I think.

P.

MadsL

Here's mine:

Q:When will Comreg require Eircom and other telcos to advise the customer at the point of purchase of the costs involved in accepting the offer to be 'put through' by directory enquiry services?

When will this be covered by consumer legislation to bring phone services in line with other goods that are required by law to have the price clearly displayed.

eircomtribunal

MadsL wrote:

Q:When will Comreg require ....?

This one seems to be sorted.
New DQ services regulation will be in force from October 2004. It took ComReg a bit longer than they had planned, but I suppose it is better to have worked out a piece of solid regulation, that would stand up a likely challenge by the operators in court.
Read through the consultation documentation which Comreg published as 0487.pdf, to see the stiff, nasty and pathetic resistance from Eircom and Conduit to the change.
Both the 11811 and the 11850 services made most of their money from call connection charges. It will cut their profits enormously when customers now have to be informed about the connection pricing at the time of being offered the service and a good percentage of them will not want to pay 50 cent per minute for a call that otherwise would cost them a few pence per minute.


From the new regulation:
Direction 3
A Directory Enquiry service provider shall provide tariff information when it offers call completion services. Consumers should be advised of the cost of using the service from most landlines and should be advised that costs will vary depending on the network/service provider used.
The following text is a guideline on the minimum set of information a Directory Enquiry service provider must provide – “Would you like to have your call connected? Calls from most landlines cost Xc per minute – Charges will vary when using your mobile phone or an alternate provider for telephone calls”
Service providers, to whom this specification applies, should note the provision of the foregoing information is the minimum requirement for the purpose of satisfying their obligations pursuant to this specification.

P.

BrianD

...and the wording is important. I note a lot of premium SMS services are dropping the required pricing info in favour of a bland "terms and conditions" apply.

Cuauhtemoc

Bit O/T but...

What is their definition of a "broadband line"?
a) A line that originates from a broadband enabled exchange or
b) A line that is able to give an enduser a broadband connection.

I take there is still no figures for line test failures...
Would it be possible to get some rough figures by running some random tests on various exchanges?
Get say x amount of phone numbers off an exchange and run them through eircoms on line broadband availability checker?

Delphi91

Inthe light of the fact that I'm too far away to get ADSL, someone told me that they felt the following was true, so I'd like an answer from Eircom:

"Is it true that Eircom are obliged to provide a working ISDN line if a customer requests its installation?"

My line failed for ISDN and I was told that was that.

Mike.

damien

Why do you lock my line when I get it checked for DSL so that none of the resellers can then sign me up ?

How long does this lock occur ?

And to Comreg: Why are you not doing anything about this obvious "cheating" and interference ?

damien

For Eircom: Why does my line fail ?

What are the reasons for a line failing ? There must be a finite amount of reasons, so what are they ?

Comreg: Why have you not asked Eircom for details about the various ways a line can fail ? Why have you not made Eircom have a proper explanation when telling someone their line failed ?

eircomtribunal

damien.m wrote:

For Eircom: Why does my line fail ?

What are the reasons for a line failing ? There must be a finite amount of reasons, so what are they ?

Comreg: Why have you not asked Eircom for details about the various ways a line can fail ? Why have you not made Eircom have a proper explanation when telling someone their line failed ?

Comreg's clever"Analyst" Eoghan Callan has had something to say on this issue at the Nirsa conference this January.
It's in a pdf, so I give the google link to the html version: http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:hX28L41zcHUJ:www.may.ie/nirsa/events/ECallan.pdf+Eoghan+Callan&hl=en

NIRSA Broadband Conference - Maynooth

Eoghan Callan
29th January 2003 (note: should read 2004)
"There are still issues to be addressed in relation to DSL line failures

Several reasons why a line test might fail:

Line length (currently 4.5km)

Carrier systems/pair gain devices (‘splitters’)

Interfering systems

Weather

Under its non-discrimination obligation eircom is required to provide ComReg with updates on its line test failure rates.
Currently, there is no obligation on eircom to provide the customer with the reason why their line failed. Lack of transparency?

Under the new USO framework, eircom is required to meet
any reasonable request to provide
a fixed line connection
capable of providing data communications at data rates that are sufficient to provide functional Internet access.

However, under the Directive FIA has been limited to speeds up to 56k".

In the same doc Eoghan also confirms that 60% of lines are connected to bb enabled exchanges, in other words confirming we do not have 60% of bb lines.
Comreg keeps the line failure rates a secret, citing the issue of commercially sensitive information. I think the public has a right to know the exact bb line failure extent.
P.

ednwireland

1 what percentage of broadand enquiries on eircoms website fail ?
mainlly to finally put to bed the myth that 1000,s of lines are enabled and people aren't buying broadband but that waht actually happens is people apply line files nowhere else to go. also most people don't get to order stage.
2. when will eircom have a policy of repairing lines that fail the broadband test as bt in the uk now have.

thegills

1. eircom - Why are your DSL line tests much more stringent than BT UK?
2. eircom - Why aren't you advertising your FWA product?
3. eircom - Why do you keep changing the locations of your interconnect chambers outside your exchanges hence costing the MAN projects more money?
4. eircom - Why have you built chambers the full width of paths to block OLO's from laying duct in the same paths?
5. Comreg - what are the rollout requirements for the recently issued 39 FWA licenses?

spongebob

thegills wrote:

5. Comreg - what are the rollout requirements for the recently issued 39 FWA licenses?

Comreg . Why do you not publish Registered FWA Base Station locations (3.5Ghz and 5.8Ghz mainly) on your publicaly available "Mobile Base station " or actually "Microwave Basestation" maps, why discriminate against 2g and 3G carriers like that ?

Comreg. Why do you not publish the location of Eircom FWA installations in the 3.5Ghz band , why are the public not allowed access to verifiable information on Eircom compliance with the 3.5Ghz rollout requirement IF Comreg HAS BEEN 'SATISFIED' .

Comreg. What is an acceptable level of credit to be extended to a consumer on a normal Eircom Bill , by the day , the week and the billing period .

Comreg. Provide details of information on Porn Dialler activity in Ireland passed by you to the Garda Fraud Squad for further investigation .

Comreg. What is "Functional Internet Access "

Comreg. What is NOT "Functional Internet Access "

Comreg. What is Nomadic Wireless. What is generally allowable and what is not ? Why ?

Comreg. Why have no efforts been made to facilitate the deployment of Nomadic FWA systems other than in the 1.8Ghz band and where the licences are available to Mobile Carriers only.

Comreg. Why has Comreg not developed a policy on the nationwide installation of carrier neutral ducting (outside of the ducts / links under the control of SMP operators) and on the importance of this being included in Local Authority (County) Development Plans.

Comreg. Why does Comreg not lobby actively for this to be done in a systemic manner as per its Competition mandate. ?

M