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

Capt'n Midnight

Impetus wrote: »

Ireland is following close to the US in this regard with the incompetent government giving UPC a monopoly over cable, and they are now going into mobile telephony in IRL.

Local monopolies on cable have been going on here long before satellite or internet http://www.iolfree.ie/~icdg/ntl_ireland.htm

In most areas UPC customers have the option of SKY or Eircom. Sky can wire up apartment blocks, efibre can offer higher upload speeds and is being rolled out.

Outside the cities if you want pay TV then you have to talk to SKY ( at least UPC pay tax here ) , if you want broadband then it's over eircom copper ( daft line rental) . Unless you live in somewhere like Dungarvan and then you can talk to Cablesurf.

Or you can build your own network


The competition between eircom and UPC in the cities is why ESB probably will seek green pastures.

BobMc

finally after some 7 months first seeing my local cab we got Fibre yesterday (cab went live 15/05), went from 1.25mb average up to 15/17mb download, we're a fair distance from the cab but anything was going to be an improvement on what we had, thankfully now we can stream music and my son can play xbox with some decent speeds

Machinehead

BobMc wrote: »

finally after some 7 months first seeing my local cab we got Fibre yesterday (cab went live 15/05), went from 1.25mb average up to 15/17mb download, we're a fair distance from the cab but anything was going to be an improvement on what we had, thankfully now we can stream music and my son can play xbox with some decent speeds

When you say fair distance, how far do you mean? I'm just interested to see how far they are pushing it out, I'm 2.2km from the nearest cab.

BobMc

Ohh not that far, I'm guessing and those who have more experience might be able to tell you better but I'm 1.0 to 1.25km from the cab, there is a closer one feeding the other side of the estate but we're here a lot longer so I guess cables came in from the main road, when I ordered rep quoted correct speeds too told me 18mb

ED E

Machinehead wrote: »

When you say fair distance, how far do you mean? I'm just interested to see how far they are pushing it out, I'm 2.2km from the nearest cab.

Thats BTs chart.

It depends on a few factors like line quality and the other lines running beside yours but it should be a rough guide.

Wait and see, once the cab goes in they'll be able to tell you what you'll get. As above the prequals are accurate.

Machinehead

ED E wrote: »

Thats BTs chart.

It depends on a few factors like line quality and the other lines running beside yours but it should be a rough guide.

Wait and see, once the cab goes in they'll be able to tell you what you'll get. As above the prequals are accurate.

OMG. If Vodafone could supply me with 10Mb @ just over 2km from the nearest cab, bring on Chromecast & Netflix:D
The amount of time I spend rebooting trying to regain my .5Mb after the connection re-synchs & goes back to .3Mb. I would be happy with 3-5Mb. For me 20-100Mb would be just a waste of bandwidth.

ED E

Machinehead wrote: »

OMG. If Vodafone could supply me with 10Mb @ just over 2km from the nearest cab, bring on Chromecast & Netflix:D
The amount of time I spend rebooting trying to regain my .5Mb after the connection re-synchs & goes back to .3Mb. I would be happy with 3-5Mb. For me 20-100Mb would be just a waste of bandwidth.

For somebody like yourself I'd pray just to make the 7Mb limit or you'll never appear as fibre enabled at all. That chart from BT seems very "best case".

Gonzo

Machinehead wrote: »

OMG. If Vodafone could supply me with 10Mb @ just over 2km from the nearest cab, bring on Chromecast & Netflix:D
The amount of time I spend rebooting trying to regain my .5Mb after the connection re-synchs & goes back to .3Mb. I would be happy with 3-5Mb. For me 20-100Mb would be just a waste of bandwidth.

unfortunately Fibre in ireland does not lend itself to well to people of 1.6km and beyond unlike that chart. I don't think Eircom offer Fibre beyond 2km and even at that it's only 7meg at 1.8-2km. I reckon most people more than 1.2km from cab aren't even connected to a cab in the first place.

Impetus

Gonzo wrote: »

unfortunately Fibre in ireland does not lend itself to well to people of 1.6km and beyond unlike that chart. I don't think Eircom offer Fibre beyond 2km and even at that it's only 7meg at 1.8-2km. I reckon most people more than 1.2km from cab aren't even connected to a cab in the first place.

If I may interject, FTTP fibre can run for 60 km or more to an end-user. The issue you seem to me to raise is the fact that fibre a la Eircom and NTL is fake. They are really talking copper (pair or coax) - and in some cases might be using fibre backhaul. But the last km or so is metal. Wherein lies the problem.

In JFK's words, you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. Neither can politicians.

ED E

Impetus wrote: »

If I may interject, FTTP fibre can run for 60 km or more to an end-user. The issue you seem to me to raise is the fact that fibre a la Eircom and NTL is fake. They are really talking copper (pair or coax) - and in some cases might be using fibre backhaul. But the last km or so is metal. Wherein lies the problem.

We aren't talking FTTP here, its VDSl. And the poster above is remote, wont be getting FTTP for a long time. PLEASE stop dragging every thread OT.

Impetus

ED E wrote: »

We aren't talking FTTP here, its VDSl. And the poster above is remote, wont be getting FTTP for a long time. PLEASE stop dragging every thread OT.

I am simply underscoring the reality that eircom's eFibre depends on a copper loop between the DSLM box and the customer. The weakest link in the chain. Ditto in relation to NTL fiber power - the last km / etc is via coax. Both these companies are in my view mis-using and abusing the fiber word. After all one could set up a 50 Mbits/sec 22.2 channel* sound link between point x and point y, with it ending via 30m of string from one tin can to another. The end user sound experience would be a lot less than 50 Mbits/sec. Understatement mode on etc.




*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22.2_surround_sound

degsie

Impetus wrote: »

I am simply underscoring the reality that eircom's eFibre depends on a copper loop between the DSLM box and the customer. The weakest link in the chain. Ditto in relation to NTL fiber power - the last km / etc is via coax. Both these companies are in my view mis-using and abusing the fiber word. After all one could set up a 50 Mbits/sec 22.2 channel* sound link between point x and point y, with it ending via 30m of string from one tin can to another. The end user sound experience would be a lot less than 50 Mbits/sec. Understatement mode on etc.




*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22.2_surround_sound

Tomatoes/Tomatoes fibre/fiber. Lets stay on topic please!

Sam Russell

According to the Eircom map, my exchange is live since the end of April, while my local box did not have its little dark green friend next to it. That has since been installed abot two weeks ago and on Thursday, I saw technicians working on it and they said they would be finished that day, and once powered by ESB it would be live for all connected to it which should happen ''today or tommorrow''. Yesterday, I checked the Eircom site and it still said eFibre was not available and not even a ''soon''.

When can I expect connection?

murphaph

degsie wrote: »

Tomatoes/Tomatoes fibre/fiber. Lets stay on topic please!

In fairness he's right. The whole eFibre branding is gross misrepresentation of the product being sold. On this forum we all know it's VDSL. Most people don't read this forum and could easily be misled into thinking they are getting an actual FTTH installation.

In Germany VDSL is marketed as VDSL. Only actuall FTTH (available in a very few places here) is called "Fibre optic". I see BT use the same mislabeling tactics as Eircom, though it's even more blatant there where VDSL is called "Fibre optic broadband" on the BT website. Whatever about Ireland, I'm surprised trading standards don't take them up on that over there.

I wonder what Eircom & Co. will do when the do start offering actual FTTH...eFibre² ?

Sam Russell

murphaph wrote: »

I wonder what Eircom & Co. will do when the do start offering actual FTTH...eFibre² ?

RealFIBRE of course!

doney84

raytaxi wrote: »

See Blackrock and castlebellingham in county louth pushed back another month . Gone out to July now Just as it appears to be getting close back it goes again lost count now how many times its pushed back.

Blackrock & Castlebellingham put forward to June again:) Should I get my hopes up ???

ED E

murphaph wrote: »

I wonder what Eircom & Co. will do when the do start offering actual FTTH...eFibre² ?

Same branding, there are FTTH trialists right now.

murphaph

ED E wrote: »

Same branding, there are FTTH trialists right now.

That just shows how stupid marketing departments can be. What nonsense.

AlmightyCushion

murphaph wrote: »

That just shows how stupid marketing departments can be. What nonsense.

Why? Most people don't care what technology their broadband uses. If the efibre 100 package is using a different technology to the efibre 250 package why would the average person want to know? If anything it's better from a marketing perspective. When comparing the different packages people will just look at the difference in speeds, bandwidth caps etc. Telling them one is VDSL and the other is fibre will just confuse most.

OneEightSeven

murphaph wrote: »

That just shows how stupid marketing departments can be. What nonsense.

While I agree with you, I posted similar frustrations about Eircom marketing their product as eFibre. Someone mentioned on this thread (I think?) that Eircom may be marketing their FTTH product as "Gigabit Internet", which does sound pretty awesome.

Still, though, I refuse to degrade myself by using Eircom's marketing terms and just refer to eFiber as "VDSL" because I know fiber is far superior.

raytaxi

doney84 wrote: »

Blackrock & Castlebellingham put forward to June again:) Should I get my hopes up ???

There is no cabs in dunleer or castlebellingham that i can see /find Dunleer is meant to go live first. Have seen Techs in Blackrock cabs so they may go live soon. Checking Eircom map Dunleer is june and Blackrock, castlebellingham are July :-(

dxhound2005

OneEightSeven wrote: »

While I agree with you, I posted similar frustrations about Eircom marketing their product as eFibre. Someone mentioned on this thread (I think?) that Eircom may be marketing their FTTH product as "Gigabit Internet", which does sound pretty awesome.

Still, though, I refuse to degrade myself by using Eircom's marketing terms and just refer to eFiber as "VDSL" because I know fiber is far superior.

The V in VDSL confusingly stands for Very High Bit Rate. I am not satisfied with that designation since it does not tell me what bit rate Very High is. Time to call my lawyers, there must be someone I can sue.

murphaph

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Why? Most people don't care what technology their broadband uses. If the efibre 100 package is using a different technology to the efibre 250 package why would the average person want to know? If anything it's better from a marketing perspective. When comparing the different packages people will just look at the difference in speeds, bandwidth caps etc. Telling them one is VDSL and the other is fibre will just confuse most.

In that case dialup 28.8kbps could have legitimately been described as fibre, because from the exchange on it was, just like ADSL. Why weren't these products marketed as "fibre"?

If you want to keep one name for the product then that name should be "broadband". Broadband 100, Broadband 250 etc. That's not lying to anyone.

ED E

murphaph wrote: »

In that case dialup 28.8kbps could have legitimately been described as fibre, because from the exchange on it was, just like ADSL. Why weren't these products marketed as "fibre"?

If you want to keep one name for the product then that name should be "broadband". Broadband 100, Broadband 250 etc. That's not lying to anyone.

Not when dialup started. It was radio links and GigE. Nowadays, the 5 dialup users in the country, go to fibre at the exchange(or network node).


The fact is VDSL would confuse customers. eFibre isnt great, but those who care know what it really is.

Johnboy1951

ED E wrote: »

Not when dialup started. It was radio links and GigE. Nowadays, the 5 dialup users in the country, go to fibre at the exchange(or network node).


The fact is VDSL would confuse customers. eFibre isnt great, but those who care know what it really is.

It confuses people now and is an incorrect description which just adds to the confusion.

Using proper terminology is never confusing ..... it might require some 'learning' but that is even more true of the inaccurate description.

I have had 'Dial-up', and ADSL service and see no reason why if I get VDSL it cannot be called that.

Should I ever get fibre then it can be called fibre.

OneEightSeven

dxhound2005 wrote: »

The V in VDSL confusingly stands for Very High Bit Rate. I am not satisfied with that designation since it does not tell me what bit rate Very High is. Time to call my lawyers, there must be someone I can sue.

No need for the sarcasm. I'm fine with it being called eFiber once they come up with a clever marketing name for FTTH.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Should I ever get fibre then it can be called fibre.

You can get FTTH, but you'll have to move house or pay tens of thousands of euro for the labour and equipment costs yourself. Fiber to rural Ireland isn't heppening at the expense of a company or the tax-payer.

Impetus

murphaph wrote: »

In fairness he's right. The whole eFibre branding is gross misrepresentation of the product being sold. On this forum we all know it's VDSL. Most people don't read this forum and could easily be misled into thinking they are getting an actual FTTH installation.

In Germany VDSL is marketed as VDSL. Only actuall FTTH (available in a very few places here) is called "Fibre optic". I see BT use the same mislabeling tactics as Eircom, though it's even more blatant there where VDSL is called "Fibre optic broadband" on the BT website. Whatever about Ireland, I'm surprised trading standards don't take them up on that over there.

I wonder what Eircom & Co. will do when the do start offering actual FTTH...eFibre² ?

In eircom-land and BT land the over paid, over pensioned idiots responsible for trading standards / trading honesty / not pulling the wool haven't a clue of the issues. As a result any crook can peddle his product as ultra/super fiber power mega, and get away with it. Meanwhile most normal people simply pay up and put up with rubbish quality of service.

ED E

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Using proper terminology is never confusing ..... it might require some 'learning' but that is even more true of the inaccurate description.

I have had 'Dial-up', and ADSL service and see no reason why if I get VDSL it cannot be called that.

Should I ever get fibre then it can be called fibre.

Sold as "Dial Up", really 28/56k. Sold as "Broadband", really ADSL1, ADSL2+. Sold as "eFibre", really VDSL2. Sold as Fibre Power, really DOCSIS2.0/3.0.

These a lay friendly names. TBH I think they're branding it in order to compete with UPC after they called theirs "Fibre Power".

Magnet got it right with "Fatpipe", if the name matters to you. Again, non issue IMO.

doney84

raytaxi wrote: »

There is no cabs in dunleer or castlebellingham that i can see /find Dunleer is meant to go live first. Have seen Techs in Blackrock cabs so they may go live soon. Checking Eircom map Dunleer is june and Blackrock, castlebellingham are July :-(

I'm in Dromiskin myself and when I put my number into the efibre availability checker on the eircom website, it says coming June 14.

The cabinet outside the pub in the village looks new and has a yellow sticker with the cab id on it(not sure if this means anything) but the cabinet to the front of the Commons Grove estate looks quite old and doesn't look like it's been worked on ... Hopefully eircom get it sorted soon.

Not sure about Dunleer but I'd say they are really trying to get Blackrock sorted. Passed a tech working on a cabinet in the Rock at 8am the other morning.

Impetus

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

It confuses people now and is an incorrect description which just adds to the confusion.

Using proper terminology is never confusing ..... it might require some 'learning' but that is even more true of the inaccurate description.

I have had 'Dial-up', and ADSL service and see no reason why if I get VDSL it cannot be called that.

Should I ever get fibre then it can be called fibre.

eFibre and fibre power terms have are the product of a dream by marketing *ankers who seldom use the internet, if ever. Perhaps occasionally to post some rubbish to their linked in account or whatever these idiots manage to achieve on the net. Pushing their pea brain cells to the max and then some in the process. No worries - the over-paid fools working for Comreg are equally clueless.

VDSL2 and VDSL terms just don't fit in, in this moron (read "ejit") environment.