Minister conflicted on "the unserved"

clohamon

Dail questions again, and the Minister fails to clarify his future plans for those left out of the NBS.

Accordingly, to try to include individually unserved premises that are located within EDs deemed to be already served within the scope of the NBS would have given rise to an unacceptable level of market distortion and therefore, such areas had to be excluded.
It is expected that over time, as competition increases and technology develops, service providers will be attracted to offer service to any such premises located within currently served areas.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2009-06-18.585.0&s=%22Telecommunications+Services.%22

but later....

We are examining ways we can get to those remaining customers who for a number of different reasons are in areas which do not come under either the national broadband scheme or alternative coverage and how we can plug that gap.....
.....I am working from memory but I understand the number is in the order of 12,000 homes but I could be wrong. We are examining ways we can plug that last gap.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2009-06-18.417.0&s=%22Telecommunications+Services.%22

clohamon

A Labour Party motion in the Seanad proposed by Senator Dominic Hannigan revealed a little more about what DCENR propose for this group of allegedly 12,000 residences. Funding possibly through the European Economic Recovery Plan.

Minister Eamon Ryan (Green Party)

Under EU state aid rules, however, we are precluded from providing the scheme in question in certain areas. I refer to areas in which those who are not served by broadband represent a small percentage of the population of the area as a whole. If 5% or less of the population of a rural electoral district does not have broadband availability, we are precluded under EU state aid rules from providing a solution for the whole electoral district as that would be seen as a distortion of a functional market. As Senators have mentioned, people in approximately 12,000 homes might not be able to get broadband services because of the state aid constraints that apply to certain electoral districts. We are saying we will look after the people in question by providing a scheme of the nature that was outlined earlier. We will make a capital grant available to assist some form of development which does not have to involve satellite broadband. A range of different technological solutions might apply. We will provide grant support to facilitate the extension of broadband services to the last few houses.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2009-07-08.274.0&s=%22Telecommunications+Services.%22

Senator Martin Brady (FF) then stands up, eviscerates the motion with a government amendment, and then weeps............ weeps for Ireland.
http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?gid=2009-07-08.279.0

Senator Dan Boyle (Green Party) seems to know that it will actually be a satellite scheme.

The Minister is also right to use satellite technology given that technology is quickly changing. It could be that we will have greater recourse to this in the future.

http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?gid=2009-07-08.287.0

watty

Someone goiing to invent negative latency for Satellites? I don't think so

spitonmedickie

Some more here

bealtine

spitonmedickie wrote: »

Some more here

Gives a 404:)

spitonmedickie

All good things, eh?

Nice to see in the Seanad that after an hour's debate the Government and opposition ended up withdrawing their motion and ammendment and going home to bed.

clohamon

bealtine wrote: »

Gives a 404:)

File attached.

watty

bealtine wrote: »

Gives a 404:)

Works here