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School Broadband Scheme

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    #2
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    Schools use VSAT (Satellite), DSL and Fixed Wireless.
    No matter who actually supplies service (mostly it's Digiweb/Smart) the ISP should appear to be HeaNet.
    Digiweb was suppling most of the Sat, with some by Smart (Smart now owned by Digiweb). Where possible Digiweb has always switched the School to a Terrestrial service as soon as it is available. At the start maybe over 50% was Satellite. I think near 40% by 2008, but I'm not sure. I'd imagine a significant number are still on VSAT (satellite).

    The lightning bolt is only the dish maker. Channel Master. Other people make the other parts.

    The specs are different for Satellite, Fixed Wireless and DSL. These have been revised when contracts expired and new contracts made. Specifications should be on Dept of Education or HeaNet sites or available via FOI request. AFAIK the specs have always been far better than the NBS spec.


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    #3
    maclek
    Registered Users Posts: 297 ✭✭maclek


    More info here:

    http://www.ncte.ie/Broadband/FAQs/


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    #4
    Salvation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 299 ✭✭Salvation


    The NCTE is also run by BT Ireland and in Clonshaugh where old Cara Data Processing is based.

    Bit of an Irony


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    #5
    partyatmygaff
    Registered Users Posts: 10,992 ✭✭✭✭partyatmygaff


    My secondary school has a 100MB line. I'm almost 100% sure it's being leased off Smart but in a (Sneaky ;)) speedtest the ISP comes up as being HEAnet.ie


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    #6
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Condi wrote: »
    Hey all,

    I ran a speedtest over wifi in our local primary school the other day. The ISP is HEAnet and the speed was ~6.5 down and .3 up I think. The ping was 89ms. The school has one of those trade-mark satellite dishes with the big red lightning bolt on it. However, at 89ms ping, the school isn't using the sat.

    There is an eircom exchange just down the road so I'm guessing the school is using DSL. However, Eircom only allow 5Mb on the exchange yet I'm guessing the schools connection is 7.5 or maybe even 10. Also, how is HEAnet showing as the ISP? Alternatively they could be using a wireless solution as there is an RTÉ mast in perfect line of site about 1 km away

    Does anyone know the following:
    - What tech the schools are using
    - Who is providing the DSL / Wireless service
    - Who was providing the sat service and has it been discontinued
    - What are spec of the connections

    Cheers
    I would have thought they offer up to 8 mbps just like with every exchange in Ireland? Many recently upgraded or large exchanges have up to 24 mbps speeds.

    The speed test isn't so suprising, other schools were swapped on to DSL instead of satellite as DSL is better and more than likely cheaper than Satellite to provision with decent quality.

    Schools are spread out geographically and fairly evenly at that, so the changes in eircom's DSL since then would disproportionately increase the number of schools now in coverage. The likes of the amber programme now employed at up to 8km, the unofficial removal of pairgains when orders of DSL go through and a somewhat better standard of plant compared to e.g. 2004 have all helped overall km^2 coverage improve significantly.

    If an exchange's coverage was an even 4.5km radius and this was extended to 7km, area covered would over double. The amber programme works up to ~8 km but that's based on cable length, not as crow flies (which is normally shorter).

    This is all separate to the expansion of DSL-enabled exchanges which has added well over a hundred rural exchanges in the past 3 or 4 years.


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    #7
    yuloni
    Registered Users Posts: 2,040 ✭✭✭yuloni


    This post has been deleted.


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    #8
    lucernarian
    Registered Users Posts: 9,235 ✭✭✭lucernarian


    Condi wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.
    Eircom should know, but some front line agent who sees line data can often "simplify" things so that customers are less likely to complain. What I'm saying is, if you look at eircom's website, http://www.eircom.net/broadband/?EGPage=ConBB you can see that they offer at least "up to" 7 mbps on every exchange. So if your line is good enough, you will get 7 mbps in every exchange in Ireland. If you call eircom again, they will verify this but might say that on many lines, top speed will be less than 7 mb. ADSL is capable of 8128 download in Ireland. 7616 if interleaving is used. Eircom have offered speeds over 5 mbps for a year or two now. They use any excuse if your line is not managing the full 7 or 8, e.g. your line is old, or too long, or there's interference in the area etc.

    FWIW, Pair-gains are a name for the digital carrier lines that eircom use. Used to give 2 to 4 lines from the one copper pair. Tadiran Telecommunications are a big supplier of them. Their multigain 2000 system is used, from what I can tell.


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