Weckler - Country folk don't want broadband

damien

http://www.thepost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=TECHNOLOGY-qqqm=nav-qqqid=14893-qqqx=1.asp

The evidence from the country’s biggest broadband operator shows mixed results. Of Eircom’s 10 Group Broadband Scheme enabled areas, most are reporting take-up rates below the national average. In other words, having kicked and screamed and shouted about a ‘‘digital divide’’ and being ‘‘discriminated against’’, rural punters are showing only lukewarm interest in an actual broadband service.

It is not all like this: some towns, like Crosshaven in Cork, are reporting a healthy take-up of newly available broadband services. But in some towns, there is evidence of a divide between a small minority who demand broadband and a wider population who could not care less.

In Granard, Co Longford, Eircom received 109 expressions of interest from locals who said the service would be of interest. One year into the service, Eircom has just a small bunch of customers in Granard - 109, to be exact. This is a mere 8 per cent of the population whose lines are broadband-enabled. What this indicates is that, above and beyond the 109 people who lobbied for the service, no one else gives a damn.

Early estimates from some of its other Group Broadband Scheme areas paint a similar picture: just 5 per cent broadband take up in Fethard, County Tipperary and 6 per cent in Castletownbere, west Cork. The obvious question is: why is 92 per cent of Granard’s population uninterested.

damien

Granard has 1,069 working lines. I'm thinking a failure rate of 25% is being generous.

That's 802 lines that can get broadband. 13.6% uptake.

6% in Castletownbere after 8 weeks is a fantastic takeup.

mike65

The obvious question is: why is 92 per cent of Granard’s population uninterested.

and so, yet again a hack poses the pertinant question but does'nt answer it. Anyway we all know rural folk lust after faster combine harvesters nothing else matters.



Mike.

lucernarian

It's the phrasing of the statistics that's got me annnoyed. From what I understand of it, he is saying that 109 is the amount of people with broadband connectivity as opposed to 109 being the amount of lines. Big difference there. If it was 109 lines enabled in an area of 1325 people, then I would say that was a pretty good statistic, as up to 25% of the population might have broadband access.

I could be wrong though...

Sponge Bob

damien.m wrote:

Granard has 1,069 working lines. I'm thinking a failure rate of 25% is being generous.

Its way worse than that Damien you optimistic uberurbanite. Weckler could have gone to the eircom line checker to do some BASIC research [.cg snip] All Granard Numbers begin 04386nnn or 04387nnn

Starting with 04386001 and ending 04386020 and starting 04387001 and ending 04387020 the results are.

Lines that are broadband capable :
Line Result Order
043-86012 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86002 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86003 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86004 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86005 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86009 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86010 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87005 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87010 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87014 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87016 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87017 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87018 Line suitable for Broadband
043-87019 Line suitable for Broadband


Lines that are not currently broadband capable:
Line Result Express Interest
043-86008 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86001 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-86011 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-86013 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-86014 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-86015 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86117 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86116 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86118 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86119 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043- 86120 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-87001 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-87002 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-87003 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-87006 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed
043-87013 Line not suitable for broadband Try hi-speed

043-86006 Unable to determine if line is suitable (not in service SB)
043-86007 Unable to determine if line is suitable (not in service SB)
043-87004 Unable to determine if line is suitable (not in service SB)
043-87008 Unable to determine if line is suitable
043-87009 Unable to determine if line is suitable
043-87011 Unable to determine if line is suitable
043-87012 Unable to determine if line is suitable
043-87015 Unable to determine if line is suitable
043-87020 Unable to determine if line is suitable

043-87007 May be suitable; subject to confirmation (Amber SB)


Results

1. Lines tested 40 .
2. Lines in service 31 (not in service 9 so irrelevant)
3. Sample size 31

Analysing the sample size

4. Pass 14 45%
5. Amber 1 3%

6. FAIL 16 52%

So the takeup is 109 signups out of the 45% or 481 who can get it, lets add the amber geezer too making it 48% of the 1069 lines, 513 lines .

That 109 signups out of 513 possibles is a 20% takeup and this in an area covered by Lastmile too. The number of exclusions by eircom thru line failures is greater than the number of possible customers in Granard from what I can see .

Rural Ireland, as always, is struggling against the most decrepit crapheap of a copper network in Europe.

eircomtribunal

Sponge Bob wrote:

Its way worse than that Damien you optimistic uberurbanite. Weckler...[.cg snip]

Come the Oireachtas Committee hearing on Wednesday, and this bullshîte will be dished up again by Dempsey and Co.: Supply side is now fixed, we need demand stimulation, because our thick citizens won't go broadband.
P.

bminish

I am finding that demand is very high indeed in Rural areas. VoIP is also popular. Perhaps the number of fixed line households in Rural areas will soon start to fall.

The only area I have actual stats for is Inishboffin Island. Out of approx 160 Year round residents there were more than 30 customers who signed up for for broadband and at least one has already number ported to a VoIP provider

.brendan

Sponge Bob

The Oughterard exchange in Galway, another GBS exchange, has the number block 091557nnn, shocking failure rates on that too.

I would wager that the 160 residents are in 70 households or so. 30 out of 70 is good.

watty

Most rural folk have given up years ago so probabily don't beleive it is available even when it is.

Broadband is MORE desired in Rural in my experience.

BTW my head hurts. Anyone got a pin for Spongbob's sig?

cgarvey

Sponge Bob wrote:

Weckler could have gone to the eircom line checker to do some BASIC research [.cg snip]

Whether he is what you said he was, or whether you think he is that, you can't post that here. The new charter is clear on that. It does nobody any favours, least of all IrelandOffline.

.cg

Sponge Bob

cgarvey wrote:

The new charter is clear on that. It does nobody any favours, least of all IrelandOffline.

Hmmmmmmmmm:(

You are defending weckler??????

The same weckler got the front page, no less, of the SBP not two months back with a puff piece (I am being polite to him) about 3.5g data where weckler tried to con we rural peoples that a stonking high speed package was on its way to us from the 3G operators.....where 3G of any sort is unavailable to we rural people..

Truly he is the new Jamie Smith. I stopped buying ....or reading... the SBP 2 months back and advised my associates to do likewise. It has all the intellectual rigour of any 4 star combination you care to concoct, the ****

PaulMurphy

The obvious question is: why is 92 per cent of Granard’s population uninterested.

Well anybody that knows off Granard [.cg snipped]

PaulMurphy banned

cgarvey

Sponge Bob wrote:

Hmmmmmmmmm:(

You are defending weckler??????

Now come on, and don't be sensationalist!! Of course I don't agree with most of his "tech" stories. I don't believe he understands most of what he writes. However, the IO forum charter is very clear on what you can and can't do. Go read it and PM me/Seamus if you think there's any ambiguity in there, or that you've been wronged!

.cg

Sponge Bob

cgarvey wrote:

I don't believe he understands most of what he writes.

Grand so . Do note that once I exercise myself in future on his myriad failings then you probably will feel that you will have to snip some of my more accurate descriptions of said failings. If you find all that too onerous then ban me for all I care .

After the disgraceful SBP front page escapade less than 2 months ago I am far beyond caring about weckler or the SBP .

The Real B-man

I See alot Digiweb boards advertising that Broadband is available in Rural towns lately so there is Demand for Broadband no matter how its recieved

smellslikeshoes

Articles like this, make broadband starved country folk like me feel like immigrating.:mad:

cgarvey

Indeed .. email Weckler and let him know! It mightn't make much of a difference, but, you never know, if there are enough mails coming through after each inacurate article he writes, he might do some research in future.

.cg

Sponge Bob

Sponge Bob wrote:

Results

1. Lines tested 40 .
2. Lines in service 31 (not in service 9 so irrelevant)
3. Sample size 31

Analysing the sample size

4. Pass 14 45%
5. Amber 1 3%
6 Fail 16 52%

Today I retested the 16 fail and 1 amber

043-86116 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86117 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86118 Line suitable for Broadband
043-86119 Line suitable for Broadband

043-86008 Line not suitable for broadband
043-86013 Line not suitable for broadband
043-86014 Line not suitable for broadband
043-86015 Line not suitable for broadband
043-87002 Line not suitable for broadband
043-87003 Line not suitable for broadband
043-87001 Line not suitable for broadband
043-87013 Line not suitable for broadband
043-86120 Line not suitable for broadband

043-87006 Now Amber
043-87007 STILL Amber

043 86001 No result may be disconnected.

Eircom have changed their line test methodology and now the pass rate in Granard Co Longford is OVER 50% , wheeeeeeeee

Nationally I feel that around 65% of the population can now get eircom DSL at home after the tests were relaxed. It means that lines will normally work at 5km rather than may work at up to 5km.

watty

Of course because of HOW it works that means you have 35% or more chance of living where 100% of people can't get DSL.

trekkypj

Y'know it's funny.

The article claims that rural people don't give a damn about broadband.
In fairness that is probably true for those who don't do anything but check their email once a week. Hardly reflective.

But in my own view its only because many of these people haven't experienced broadband. They don't have it and so don't care because they don't know what it is like. Upgrade the exchanges and make it an option and many will avail, simply because stuff like online banking and other online services, e.g. amazon will provide a means of avoiding visiting the dreaded *town*. Not to mention being cheaper and faster than doing it the 1892 dialup way.

It isn't just a case of expecting immediate take up of the service. It will take time and just because the initial take up is only 5%, will it stay there in the long term? Eventually the exchanges will have to be upgraded anyway as the old equipment fails. It's not like they need to lay new copper for christs sake.

smellslikeshoes

trekkypj wrote:

Eventually the exchanges will have to be upgraded anyway as the old equipment fails. It's not like they need to lay new copper for christs sake.

In a lot of the exchanges that eircom have not upgraded the line failure rate would be huge because of bad copper, so if they were to upgrade country exchanges they would also have to replace rotting copper.

SeaSide

but the country folks do want infotainment - just as long as it doesnt come over that pesky broadband

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single6993

Sponge Bob

yer man in IBEC is trying to sell a conference and networking schmooz so he would say that would he not , the same fella said there is no demand for broadband....THIS year....and he also said that a Universal Satellite BB service in ireland with speeds of 5Mbits would cost €5Bn...this year or last

Capt'n Midnight

damien.m wrote:

The obvious question is: why is 92 per cent of Granard’s population uninterested.

Price ?
Reluctance to hand money to Eircom ?

Or maybe it's that rural areas are different to urban ones.
another question, what are the demographics there compared to urban areas ?
how many old people who may not be computer literate ?
what % had computers before ?
how many of the population of working age have left the village to work in urban areas ?
what are income levels in the areas ?


Let's not forget that NI have had 99.5% coverage quite a while, even though they didn't expect to make a profit in every exchage.

shoegirl

trekkypj wrote:

Y'know it's funny.

The article claims that rural people don't give a damn about broadband.
In fairness that is probably true for those who don't do anything but check their email once a week. Hardly reflective.

But in my own view its only because many of these people haven't experienced broadband. They don't have it and so don't care because they don't know what it is like. Upgrade the exchanges and make it an option and many will avail, simply because stuff like online banking and other online services, e.g. amazon will provide a means of avoiding visiting the dreaded *town*. Not to mention being cheaper and faster than doing it the 1892 dialup way.

It isn't just a case of expecting immediate take up of the service. It will take time and just because the initial take up is only 5%, will it stay there in the long term? Eventually the exchanges will have to be upgraded anyway as the old equipment fails. It's not like they need to lay new copper for christs sake.

OK but take out:
1. Those who don't have a phone line
2. Those who don't have a pc
3. Those who might not take it up now, but maybe in a year or two's time
4. Add to that those who would like to get broadband, but cannot afford it right now (and yes there are still people for whom 45 euros a month is a lot of money to spend for the cheapest service, nevermind eircom's 55 euro plus call costs rip-off)
5. Then consider "transient" households for whom 12 month contract is unsuitable

I would say you'd be lucky to get 10% in most towns. Plus people might not jump immediately,its not a priority for everyone.

My concern is that the overall cost of having a phone line in the first place is a big disincentive - a large number of households don't have a landline because of the relative cost - even though there's a sky disk on almost every wall in ireland mind you! In fact I suspect that appalling TV reception in rural areas may be contributing to low BB takeup by the fact that a lot of people will see having a TV as a priority over having other forms of entertainment, and so the likes of Sky are actually draining money that otherwise would be spent on BB - just a possible thought?