Eircom eFibre VDSL/FTTC rollout – plans to reach 1.6m premises by mid 2016

D'Peoples Voice

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The title of the thread says one million homes within three years, there aren't even three months gone yet. You can't complain that any schedule has been broken for your area yet since it is only just over one month into the period.

the announcement was on February 20, 2012
To their credit, they are still 2 days short of being 1.5 years into their 3 years.

I'm not saying they won't reach their target, but I'm reminded of this:rolleyes:

Cantona's Collars

Yellow stickers all over the place here in Enniscorthy but still no date for anyone getting fibre.It seems to be constantly pushed back despite the fact that the guys working on it saying it's good to go.

jca

Any of the cabinets I've seen aren't yellow stickered. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong ones!!

dxhound2005

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

the announcement was on February 20, 2012
To their credit, they are still 2 days short of being 1.5 years into their 3 years.

I'm not saying they won't reach their target, but I'm reminded of this:rolleyes:

Yes, I should have looked back at the original post. I was referring to the date on which Comreg allowed Eircom Wholesale to commence, 20 May 2013. Eircom wanted to go on 8 April.

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/comms/item/31810-comreg-maintains-eircom/

I can understand people being impatient, I'm impatient myself for Dundalk to happen, supposed to be July to Sept. But I come from an era and originally from an area in which I can recall the ESB being installed in the 1960's. The rural electrification scheme took over 20 years to complete well into the 1970's and not that long ago telephones were rare in rural districts. So while the likes of me who already has 8 Meg will soon have 50 Meg I feel for the folks in the vast swathes of the country outside of the urban centres who will just have to wait for the technology to arrive as it always does eventually.

Resi12

Richard Dower wrote: »

Anyone in Limerick get fibre yet?....if yes, roughly what area are youz living in?

Tomorrow.

FastFullBack

apophis wrote: »

Hi guys, i just got off a web chat with a digiweb rep who told me that in the next week or two (more likely), they will be redoing their pricing on fibre bb, the price i was quoted was 39.95 euro for the unlimited package with a FUP of 350GB (i know, i know), was told it would be a soft rollout (whatever that is), existing customers will be looked after first and then new ones.
Just wanted to post this as someone might be interested, or indeed someone might decide to go to the site and do a web chat and confirm if what i was told is true.


apophis :cool:

Just an update on this. I'm on web chat right now with Digiweb and I've just ordered a 50MB package with a 350GB FUP same as I currently have with Smart. Package is €39.95 with €49.95 install fee and 18 month contract. The packages are 70MB but apparently my line can only take 50MB down.

I asked why the website is not updated and was told "The current packages are on whats called a soft roll out which basically means for current customers only or word of mouth. The packages will be fully released in coming weeks/months on the website"

Engineer should be with me within 10 days .

jaffusmax

FastFullBack wrote: »

Just an update on this. I'm on web chat right now with Digiweb and I've just ordered a 50MB package with a 350GB FUP same as I currently have with Smart. Package is €39.95 with €49.95 install fee and 18 month contract. The packages are 70MB but apparently my line can only take 50MB down.

I asked why the website is not updated and was told "The current packages are on whats called a soft roll out which basically means for current customers only or word of mouth. The packages will be fully released in coming weeks/months on the website"

Engineer should be with me within 10 days .

Where are u located I'm getting nothing but BS about line speeds here in Dundalk!

FastFullBack

jaffusmax wrote: »

Where are u located I'm getting nothing but BS about line speeds here in Dundalk!

Cork. I was actually very surprised they took my order. There is 1 cabinet 1 KM from the my house and another 500 meters from my house. Both have been there with months. Anytime I've talked to Eircom I was told it wasn't available to me yet.
Just this week a new cabinet has been installed 300 meters from my house. I doubt that is online yet so I'm not sure which cabinet they are going to connect me too. I asked the web chat guys but he didnt know. He just said I must be pretty close cause my line is showing up for 50MB where as most show up for 40MB.

jaffusmax

FastFullBack wrote: »

Cork. I was actually very surprised they took my order. There is 1 cabinet 1 KM from the my house and another 500 meters from my house. Both have been there with months. Anytime I've talked to Eircom I was told it wasn't available to me yet.
Just this week a new cabinet has been installed 300 meters from my house. I doubt that is online yet so I'm not sure which cabinet they are going to connect me too. I asked the web chat guys but he didnt know. He just said I must be pretty close cause my line is showing up for 50MB where as most show up for 40MB.

I hope u get it in smoothly and without to much hassle. I am not holding out much hope getting it until summer next year the way things are progressing here!

Freddy Smelly

lol its funny how those in balybackarse of nowhere expect fibre to be rolled out to them as a priority..

fibre is expensive to install, local authorities inherently difficult to get planning permissions and road opening licenses from and most isp will focus on urban areas first because its much more cost effective to install fibre there than it is in ballybackarse of nowhere.

Mc Love

Freddy Smelly wrote: »

lol its funny how those in balybackarse of nowhere expect fibre to be rolled out to them as a priority..

fibre is expensive to install, local authorities inherently difficult to get planning permissions and road opening licenses from and most isp will focus on urban areas first because its much more cost effective to install fibre there than it is in ballybackarse of nowhere.

Its also funny how those of us living right beside the suburbs but still would be considered rural dont have any access to fiber. I live in the hope that sometime soon, we will though!

Nolars

Freddy Smelly wrote: »

lol its funny how those in balybackarse of nowhere expect fibre to be rolled out to them as a priority..

fibre is expensive to install, local authorities inherently difficult to get planning permissions and road opening licenses from and most isp will focus on urban areas first because its much more cost effective to install fibre there than it is in ballybackarse of nowhere.

It's funny how some people don't realize that people in "ballybackarse of nowhere" actually need good broadband speeds. Idiotic views like this put with as you said local authorities etc is why the country is so backwards in terms of broadband.

red_bairn

Freddy Smelly wrote: »

lol its funny how those in balybackarse of nowhere expect fibre to be rolled out to them as a priority..

fibre is expensive to install, local authorities inherently difficult to get planning permissions and road opening licenses from and most isp will focus on urban areas first because its much more cost effective to install fibre there than it is in ballybackarse of nowhere.

Derp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21442348

Freddy Smelly

red_bairn wrote: »

Derp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21442348

in the uk maybe... but here its not cheap to install.

many factors make it expensive.

1. fibre itself is fairly expensive.
2. cabinets & equipment cost a huge amount.
3. contractors required to do upgrades
4. planning fees, and road repairs after a line has been laid costs massive amounts
5. you cant simply did up a road to lay cable when you feel like it here.

smellmepower

Nolars wrote: »

It's funny how some people don't realize that people in "ballybackarse of nowhere" actually need good broadband speeds. Idiotic views like this put with as you said local authorities etc is why the country is so backwards in terms of broadband.

That lad said he works for Eircom on another thread.Sort of attitude I'd expect from one of their employees tbh.

Nolars

smellmepower wrote: »

That lad said he works for Eircom on another thread.Sort of attitude I'd expect from one of their employees tbh.

Ah right yea that would explain it all right.

FastFullBack

Has any had their Fibre router installed in a different location to the main eircom socket? I know you can get an extension. Digiweb offer this upto 30 meters. €69 if you order before or €109 if you go for it on the day of install.

I'd prefer to know exactly what it looks like before I commit to ordering it. Will they just run cable along the skirting board? If so then I'd prefer to go down the homeplug route I think.

Any pics would be great?

pg17

FastFullBack wrote: »

Has any had their Fibre router installed in a different location to the main eircom socket? I know you can get an extension. Digiweb offer this upto 30 meters. €69 if you order before or €109 if you go for it on the day of install.

I'd prefer to know exactly what it looks like before I commit to ordering it. Will they just run cable along the skirting board? If so then I'd prefer to go down the homeplug route I think.

Any pics would be great?

There were discussion and photos in this thread around the rime of the eFibre launch (think it was May 28). Basically eircom do all the installs, the mandatory new outlet has RJ11 for phone and RJ45 for the router. eircom will run about 30 meters of surface mounted xxx cable free of charge from the main socket to another location if you want the modem/router somewhere else.

jeffk

pg17 wrote: »

There were discussion and photos in this thread around the rime of the eFibre launch (think it was May 28). Basically eircom do all the installs, the mandatory new outlet has RJ11 for phone and RJ45 for the router. eircom will run about 30 meters of surface mounted LAN cable free of charge from the main socket to another location if you want the modem/router somewhere else.

So if the main outlet is in the hall and the pc/s are upstairs , then its a Powerline Adapter Kit and the a router to connect that to the two pcs I have or wireless usb sticks?

SpaceTime

pg17 wrote: »

There were discussion and photos in this thread around the rime of the eFibre launch (think it was May 28). Basically eircom do all the installs, the mandatory new outlet has RJ11 for phone and RJ45 for the router. eircom will run about 30 meters of surface mounted LAN cable free of charge from the main socket to another location if you want the modem/router somewhere else.

It doesn't have to be LAN cable but I think they use CAT5 or CAT6 these days anyway.

All that counts is that the modem is the first device on the line and everything else is filtered at that point by the socket.

They will run a line to a more practical location if asked though.

The RJ45 socket for DSL is actually part of some European harmonisation thing. They use RJ45 jacks that accept RJ11 or RJ45 plugs on any new standard sockets in Europe as its just supposed to allow for future services.

For example in France all the new installations use RJ45 jacks instead of the old national standard which was a huge plug about the size of an electrical plug.

BT uses a similar setup with RJ45 modern jacks etc etc

TheChizler

Has anyone chased their own cable behind the walls and the eircom tech used that to move the socket? I'd like our modem to go under our stairs but the main point is 2 rooms away and surface cables aren't really an option.

SpaceTime

TheChizler wrote: »

Has anyone chased their own cable behind the walls and the eircom tech used that to move the socket? I'd like our modem to go under our stairs but the main point is 2 rooms away and surface cables aren't really an option.

If you provide a run of cat5 or cat6 from where the line enters the house to where you want the socket, he/she should be able to use that.

It's just telephone wiring.

They might actually just install the NTU there and carry the filtered line back on a spare pair to your extension sockets.

The VDSL/efibre service is still just two wire phone service but it needs high quality twisted pair solid copper wiring (CAT6 for example) to minimise noise and crosstalk.

The tech would probably be delighted if you'd wiring in place as it would save time on the job.

Just make sure it is definitely CAT5 at least or CAT6.

Leave a good bit of slack too and don't cut it short!

The purpose of the technician install is to install a central filter/splitter so VDSL2 signals aren't going all across your potentially noisy extension wiring.

It's not a LAN network or anything more complicated than DSL wiring.

So basically your line *must* go through the splitter / NTU first and the modem plugs in there.

Anything connected to the NTU / splitter's extension ports will have no DSL signals.

So you never need to worry about filters/splitters again!

TheChizler

I'd be sticking cat 6 in all right. The reason I ask is that I can imagine them having a policy of not touching user supplied cable or not letting the customer do part of the install as they can't guarantee it.

byte

TheChizler wrote: »

I'd be sticking cat 6 in all right. The reason I ask is that I can imagine them having a policy of not touching user supplied cable or not letting the customer do part of the install as they can't guarantee it.

Presumably, though, they'd have test/diagnostic meters to ensure your cable is fine and then they could use it.

For me, in Donegal Town, it has been ages now since a KN van has been seen. Have my doubts now that it'll be in action before year end.

phog

TheChizler wrote: »

I'd be sticking cat 6 in all right. The reason I ask is that I can imagine them having a policy of not touching user supplied cable or not letting the customer do part of the install as they can't guarantee it.

At a guess, the technician will use your cable but won't get involved if there are speed issues between where the socket should be and where you've wired it to.

red_bairn

I saw KN barriers around my own local cab earlier. Fingers crossed for it being commissioned if not done so already.

murphaph

Do eircom only have one size of VDSL cabinet like BT? I see in the UK they already have sites with several cabinets because one cabinet cannot cater for the demand in the area. Here in Berlin the VDSL cabinets are about 3 times the size of the eircom/BT ones. Surely in urban areas they should be using larger cabinets to cater for future demand so they don't have to do all the civils every time a cabinet is full.

SpaceTime

Several issues:

1) density of housing (mostly). So the small cabinets should cover the demand. You're trying to keep lines short, so more frequent small cabinets makes more sense than fewer large cabinets and longer lines to reach them.

In many cases the cabinets probably have more capacity than they will ever use.

2) they're high capacity for their size. Huawei gear is very compact. They also do not need the same level of protection from heat as other climates would need. So there wouldn't be any need for air conditioning or other forms of serious cooling. That's essential in most continental climate making the street cabinets a lot bigger. In Ireland you get away with relatively small fans and passive cooling into the already rather cool atmosphere.

In the Irish and British climate water ingress and corrosion of the cabinet would be the main concerns.

3) many European installations replace the old PCP cabinet so there is a lot more gear inside the cabinet making it look bulkier.

4) eircom and BT have to deal with tighter planning regulations than most when it comes to street furniture. The compact cabinet size was one of the reasons Huawei was a successful bidder.

5) They can and already have just installed two VDSL cabinets side by side where a very busy PCP distribution cabinet is there. In our installations they don't replace the distribution cabinets. They just add a module to allow them to patch in the VDSL service from the fibre cabinet.

The civils are absolutely minimal when they already have power to the site.

All that being said, I still wouldn't be entirely confident that they've built out enough capacity. They certainly didn't in the early days of ADSL when people had issues with exchanges being "full" i.e. no spare ports on the DSLAM.

However, I think things have changed in so far as they're fighting for their lives against UPC in urban areas anyway, and this is really driving it.

SpaceTime

murphaph wrote: »

....

In quite a few instances, eircom put an entire exchange in a box very similar to that!

murphaph

SpaceTime wrote: »

In quite a few instances, eircom put an entire exchange in a box very similar to that!

lol, Deutsche Telekom have a smaller box than that (same design, just one door/rack less) also available for areas with lower density but here in Berlin there'll all big ones like that and all quite closely spaced. My nearest cabinet is app. 100m from me and the next one is about 200m and so it goes, but the density where I live is much higher than the suburbs. According to my modem my line is capable of 123kpbs downstream. However Telekom (and the resellers) only sell 50Mbps for some reason, even though they are competing with cable companies offering 100Mbps+ speeds. It doesn't bother me though, 50Mbps is more than enough for us.

The thing about the cooling makes a lot of sense now that you mention it. I think the cabinets here have active cooling and that probably does reduce their actual size considerably, so they probably aren't capable of (many) more actual connections than the smaller Irish/UK ones.