Broadband in Ireland

Davidth88

This is an interesting article,

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=10676&email=html

Ireland’s broadband rating leaves a lot to be desired
A survey published by European research company Eurostat has placed Ireland bottom of a league table for broadband saturation levels, with a penetration rate of just 1.7%. Fine Gael MEP for Dublin Gay Mitchell said the country’s woeful record on broadband could spell disaster for the Irish economy. ‘This is a disgracefully poor level of broadband penetration when compared with our innovative European neighbours who have reached a saturation penetration level of more than 12%. Denmark and the Netherlands are way ahead of Ireland in this regard. Poor broadband access is a key obstacle for Ireland to improve our economy on a global scale,’ he said.


I went to the Broadband World Forum in Spain in Sept last , there was a speaker from Eircom there . Ill be honest I found it cringeworthy, he bascially gave excuses why Eircom couldn't do anything

Sponge Bob

Davidth88 wrote:

I went to the Broadband World Forum in Spain in Sept last , there was a speaker from Eircom there . Ill be honest I found it cringeworthy, he bascially gave excuses why Eircom couldn't do anything

Have you any more detail on this speech, a copy even ??

Benster

Here's another interesting report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4616890.stm

Maxwell

Benster wrote:

Here's another interesting report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4616890.stm

That makes me so, so p**ed off at having to live with 56k dial up with no chance of broadband in sight!

Davidth88

That just about says it all !

The demographics/geographical layout of the north cannot be that different than the south can it ?

Sponge Bob

Davidth88 wrote:

That just about says it all !

The demographics/geographical layout of the north cannot be that different than the south can it ?

Arguably its worse, we have a fair few flat bits while they have a fair few rolling bits with drumlins . A lot of the pure uplands are National Parks or similar where development is more carefully controlled than it is here .

hellboy99

we've got the monoply Eircom to thank for it :mad:

aido_2006

they are unbelievable, for 2 years i tried to get eircom out to the house as we had a 2nd phone number installed in house and they used a dax box to do this meaning we had no chance of getting broadband as both the phone lines where running off the line to exchange... this is illegal in england but they basically told me where to go everytime i rang... eventually irish broadband came to my area which is portmarnock and i got that so im lucky enough for that but eircom are a shower of f***s!!

Benster

I'd say the reason for the 100% coverage up North is because BT put a serious amount of money behind it to use it as a showcase. Mind you, as has been said, that's no mean feat, it's not exactly huge.

Historically, the North has always had good infrastructure, paid for by the GB taxpayer since forever. It was one of the first regions to have all the exchanges upgraded to digital years ago too.

And afaic: BT down here != BT up there. BT UK controls the lines like Eircom here, therefore dominance and power. BT down here is one of the many wholesale purchasers who can't really dictate a whole lot as Eircom is in charge.

Mind you, I like what they've done with VoIP for international calls... That rubbed Eircom's nose in it

Freddie59

Benster wrote:

I'd say the reason for the 100% coverage up North is because BT put a serious amount of money behind it to use it as a showcase. Mind you, as has been said, that's no mean feat, it's not exactly huge.

Historically, the North has always had good infrastructure, paid for by the GB taxpayer since forever. It was one of the first regions to have all the exchanges upgraded to digital years ago too.

And afaic: BT down here != BT up there. BT UK controls the lines like Eircom here, therefore dominance and power. BT down here is one of the many wholesale purchasers who can't really dictate a whole lot as Eircom is in charge.

Mind you, I like what they've done with VoIP for international calls... That rubbed Eircom's nose in it

Made a ten-minute phone call to the US with Blueface the other day.......the call cost 10c (YES TEN CENT). Now that's VOIP at it's best.:D