NBP: National Broadband Plan Announced

The Cush

On renationalising eir

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett: Renationalise Eircom.

The Taoiseach: The only physical asset that MBI will own is the fibre and fibre has to be renewed after 20 or 30 years. The advantage of the gap funding model is such that because MBI owns the fibre it is much more likely it will continue to invest in it and renew it. That is one of the reasons the gap funding model was chosen over the State ownership model.

In our deliberations over the past few months, following the appointment of Deputy Bruton, as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, one of the things we gave consideration to was exactly what Deputy Boyd Barrett proposed, which is the renationalisation of Eircom so that we could get our hands on the real infrastructure, which is the poles and the ducts. Two thirds of that company sold for €3.5 billion not too long ago. To renationalise it, which would take quite some time and, possibly, a legal battle, we would have to compensate the shareholders, probably to the tune of €5 billion or €6 billion. That would be the outlay before we provided any money at all to connect any home in rural Ireland, which would amount to a cost of €8 billion or €9 billion.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2019-05-14/2/

cregmon

Bigmac1euro wrote: »

Would[/url] I be correct in saying Sweden are doing similar except at a fraction of the cost

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/news/high-speed-broadband-more-400000-homes-sweden-2017-oct-03_en

westyIrl wrote: »

They are supporting the expansion for an existing network to the tune of €125 million. The release does not state the overall cost of the expansion. Either way, I seriously doubt it is anywhere near a like for like comparison. EIB are supporting the NBP to the tune of €500m if I recall correctly.

Jim

I wrote to the Dept. Comms over a year ago on what their model involved. Sweden established their Local Fibre Alliance about twenty years ago, long before the idea of FTTH took hold and certainly predates availability of passive optical distribution network equipment. Originally the technical solution was built upon fibre-backed VDSL and has since evolved.

A friend from there once asked me how we (Ireland) did rural broadband and he rightfully scoffed at our feebleness. He said through the scheme his small community of around 50 subscribers deployed their own FTTH solution and it costs them about €30 per month, all in. (I didn't think of getting more details at the time and dont know who covered the install costs).

Lots more info on what they do here:
SSNF, Swedish Local Fibre Alliance reports:
https://www.ssnf.org/in-english/
https://www.ssnf.org/globalassets/in-english/facts-and-statistics/local-fibre-networks-in-sweden.pdf
https://www.ssnf.org/globalassets/in-english/facts-and-statistics/sweden-local-fibre-networks-2014.pdf

Some of SSNF Members (commercial & municipal):
http://rala.com/en/our-cases/
https://wexnet.se/om-wexnet/historia/

EU supported funding models through Swedish Dept of Agriculture:
http://www.jordbruksverket.se/amnesomraden/stod/stodilandsbygdsprogrammet/bredband.4.37e9ac46144f41921cd2c761.html

BarryD2

kazoo106 wrote: »

By the time IP is inserted - retail will probably have to be €60+ per month

We were paying that a few years ago for a pretty variable wireless service, which was better than dial up modem but failed frequently. Currently on a Three mobile 3G solution which is half that but also variable in quality to the point of useless at times. Very frustrating to run a small business when the service is so up and down.

clohamon

The Cush wrote: »

On renationalising eir

The only bit of Eircom the State needs to retain is the rural network where the market won't invest, i.e. the 300K and the intervention area; the rest could be re-floated. So the net cost would be much lower.

There may be a problem with the FWA providers if they can show they have a substitutable product; and they may need to be compensated or bought out also.


(btw, well done on all the media monitoring, it's a fantastic resource)

The Cush

clohamon wrote: »

The only bit of Eircom the State needs to retain is the rural network where the market won't invest, i.e. the 300K and the intervention area; the rest could be re-floated. So the net cost would be much lower.

"out of their cold dead hands", there's no chance the shareholders will relinquish the network or part of it. The cost to the state would be enormous before we could even rollout the new network, what would happen the urban rollout?

We are where we are, this current procurement process has to conclude, either to sign or cancel/withdraw, and unless there is some serious reason to cancel NBI will be signing the contract in a few months.

Only an election will stop this process now but FF won't pull the plug, they avoid answering the question when asked, Timmy Dooley on the various radio interviews, Cowen on the Tonight Show last night.

A new process will take 37 months before shovels even touch the ground , what politician would want to face the rural electorate with more than another 3 year delay and this would be focused on FF if they withdraw support.

Marlow

Just buying the rural network or buying the network, then refloat the urban network is not quite that easy and comes with a lot of culprits. It would make more sense to buy the company, then refloat the retail arm.

But here is another thing to think of: were openeir or the upcoming new network state owned, that would mean a complete different story to licensing with county councils ... and that is indeed a major cost factor in the build, when establishing new ducts and poles.

A lot of red tape could simply be removed.

Yet .. they chose a solution, where individual councils could milk and delay the rollout on top of it. Driving the cost of deployment up.

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

Just buying the rural network or buying the network, then refloat the urban network is not quite that easy and comes with a lot of culprits. It would make more sense to buy the company, then refloat the retail arm.


/M

Yes, buy the whole company and only retain rural network; sorry if that wasn't clear.

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

Yes, buy the whole company and only retain rural network; sorry if that wasn't clear.

You were clear. It's not easily done. It would make more sense to keep it all, then launch it as an provider independant state owned network. Let the urban income finance the rural rollout.

Just sell the retail arm.

/M

Johnboy1951

The time to buy back eir has also passed.
It now has a value much greater than just a few short years ago.

It should not have been sold.
It should have been bought back when in serious financial trouble.

All 'should haves' and 'what ifs' and of no use in the present to even discuss them.

The NBP is the only game in town.
It is long past time to get on and do it.

At the end of the day, when NBI have exhausted its profits from it, it will sell the fibre to openeir
(most likely, even though there will be very little value in it by then)
and Openeir will then have a full national network.
In the meantime NBI will have paid for the improvement and maintenance of the rural pole network.

It is looking like eir played another blinder.

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

You were clear. It's not easily done. It would make more sense to keep it all, then launch it as an provider independant state owned network. Let the urban income finance the rural rollout.

Just sell the retail arm.

/M

There are others who can and do invest in urban networks. The State should only get involved where the market has not provided or has failed for other reasons. It makes a better case if challenged by Eircom.

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

There are others who can and do invest in urban networks. The State should only get involved where the market has not provided or has failed for other reasons. It makes a better case if challenged by Eircom.

Here is your problem: the NBP includes a good chunk of Urban network ... simply because these "others" have not sorted it.

It doesn't work like that. It's either the whole hog or nothing. Otherwise you're left open to questioning of your motives. It would even politically a powderkeg, if one area got preferential treatment over another.

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

Here is your problem: the NBP includes a good chunk of Urban network ... simply because these "others" have not sorted it.

It doesn't work like that. It's either the whole hog or nothing. Otherwise you're left open to questioning of your motives. It would even politically a powderkeg, if one area got preferential treatment over another.

/M

The 'chunk' is the 84k urban failures? Eircom say they are now deploying FTTH to urban areas.

The rural network (as I see it) is the original amber area from November 2014.

Agree that 'We are where we are'.

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

The 'chunk' is the 84k urban failures? Eircom say they are now deploying FTTH to urban areas.

OpenEIR is only going to sort approx 55k of those as part of the IFN. That leaves 29k of urban homes to be serviced by the NBP. It's this sort of short sighted thinking that has landed us in this situation in the first place.

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

OpenEIR is only going to sort approx 55k of those as part of the IFN. That leaves 29k of urban homes to be serviced by the NBP. It's this sort of short sighted thinking that has landed us in this situation in the first place.

/M

We're getting down to fairly small differences. Perhaps the stragglers could be dealt with by an urban USO.

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

We're getting down to fairly small differences. Perhaps the stragglers could be dealt with by an urban USO.

There is no such thing as an USO for broadband in Ireland currently. And would you want to rely on a USO with track record, that the current USO for phone lines is handled ?

Now you're fishing for excuses just to focus on rural Ireland instead of solving the real issue as a complete.

Also. The 84k is only the ones we know off. I can show you a sh**load more urban premises stuck in limbo over license or ducting issues in urban areas, that because of that can't get any broadband at all. And it's down to the way that OpenEIR deploys their network. SIRO have overcome all of this is in very professional manner.

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

There is no such thing as an USO for broadband in Ireland currently. And would you want to rely on a USO with track record, that the current USO for phone lines is handled ?

Now you're fishing for excuses just to focus on rural Ireland instead of solving the real issue as a complete.

/M

The consultation about a USO happens every few years (next is 2021 AFAIK). It's a national competence so ComReg can set it at a reasonable level given the prevailing technology deployed.

I'm not making excuses because rural Ireland *is* the issue. I accept that the Regulator is hopeless, but bear in mind the new EU objectives and that there is nothing in the Universal Access regs to prevent a broadband USO coming into force.

(5) The Regulator may, with the consent of the Minister, for the purpose of the services referred to in this Regulation, specify requirements to be complied with by a designated undertaking in relation to—
(a) functional Internet access, having regard to prevailing technologies used by the majority of subscribers in the State and to technological feasibility,

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

(a) functional Internet access, having regard to prevailing technologies used by the majority of subscribers in the State and to technological feasibility,

Dial-Up is functional internet access by those definitions. Basic mobile internet on 2G technologies like GPRS or EDGE is functional internet. Hence why we don't have a USO for broadband.

What you quoted there does NOT call for broadband. It calls for internet access.

Unless the legislation is changed to define exactly, how functional internet is defined, dial-up is functional internet. So .. no ... a USO for broadband is not an option at this given point of time, as it can not be enforced by law.

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

Dial-Up is functional internet access by those definitions. Basic mobile internet on 2G technologies like GPRS or EDGE is functional internet. Hence why we don't have a USO for broadband.

What you quoted there does NOT call for broadband. It calls for internet access.

Unless the legislation is changed to define exactly, how functional internet is defined, dial-up is functional internet. So .. no ... a USO for broadband is not an option at this given point of time, as it can not be enforced by law.

/M

I'll just have to disagree on that interpretation. No one ever said functional internet access is "dial-up", because the regulation allows for other technologies and dial-up is no longer the prevailing technology. I agree that they've set the speed very low. There's nothing to stop them raising it within the terms of the regulation.

Marlow

clohamon wrote: »

I'll just have to disagree on that interpretation. No one ever said functional internet access is "dial-up", because the regulation allows for other technologies and dial-up is no longer the prevailing technology. I agree that they've set the speed very low. There's nothing to stop them raising it within the terms of the regulation.

I am pointing out the exact flaws, that landed us in this situation. The NBP does not fix these flaws.

All that's being done here is short sighted. It's not focusing on solving actual problems. It's focusing at working around problems by throwing money at it. And it's the 3rd attempt to do so (and failing).

And then from somebody like you saying, that urban areas don't need to be looked after is right up there in the same alley. Because You will pass urban areas to get to rural areas to deliver this service. Some of which are seriously in trouble for connectivity. So the only way to look at this is:

- fix legislation, define a clear-cut definition.
- build an open network (or start with openeirs network in state ownership and rebuild from the inside out) and let retail outlets sort out dealing with the end user.
- be happy

Anything short of that will end up in tears by somebody. It should come as no surprise to anybody, that the urbanites are calling for rural people to move to urban areas, if they want their issues solved, when people in rural areas have that sort of attitude like: "What do I care about urban areas? They have it all sorted".

/M

clohamon

Marlow wrote: »

I am pointing out the exact flaws, that landed us in this situation. The NBP does not fix these flaws.

All that's being done here is short sighted. It's not focusing on solving actual problems. It's focusing at working around problems by throwing money at it. And it's the 3rd attempt to do so (and failing).

And then from somebody like you saying, that urban areas don't need to be looked after is right up there in the same alley. Because You will pass urban areas to get to rural areas to deliver this service. Some of which are seriously in trouble for connectivity. So the only way to look at this is:

- fix legislation, define a clear-cut definition.
- build an open network (or start with openeirs network in state ownership and rebuild from the inside out) and let retail outlets sort out dealing with the end user.
- be happy

Anything short of that will end up in tears by somebody. It should come as no surprise to anybody, that the urbanites are calling for rural people to move to urban areas, if they want their issues solved, when people in rural areas have that sort of attitude like: "What do I care about urban areas? They have it all sorted".

/M

I didn't say "urban areas don't need to be looked after". I absolutely do believe that they should.


I think a USO would deal those premises in urban areas that for some reason the market failed to provide for.

BarryD2

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

In the meantime NBI will have paid for the improvement and maintenance of the rural pole network.

It is looking like eir played another blinder.

That's the bit that sticks in my craw. Because Eir in general have done sweet FA in terms of maintaining the basic landline network. I know because we lose service here on average 4 times a year, sometimes for weeks at a time, despite have a business account. You report the fault and some trained monkey just keeps telling you the problem is with the handset, when it's their line that is cut or even worse, the fault is in their own bloody exchange. I wouldn't give them the steam off my ****, if I had the choice!

The Cush

No budgetary impact with the rollout of national broadband until 2021 according to the Taoiseach. How it will be funded will be part of the Dept of Finance Summer Economic Statement due to be published next month.

The Taoiseach: There will be no budgetary impact in 2019 and a minimal impact in 2020. In fact, there may possibly be none as a result of carry-over. There will be a budgetary impact from 2021 onwards. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in the summer economic statement, due in a few weeks’ time, will indicate exactly how that will be provided for.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2019-05-15/16/

Pique

Anyone emailed their local TDs on this?

Headshot

Pique wrote: »

Anyone emailed their local TDs on this?

I rang my local FG TD and said fair play. If this comes to fruition it will change Rural Ireland for the better. Ignore all the criticism and alternatives like wireless and 5G as those people don't have a ****ing clue what they are talking about.

He was a very happy camper

The Cush

Headshot wrote: »

I rang my local FG TD and said fair play. If this comes to fruition it will change Rural Ireland for the better. Ignore all the criticism and alternatives like wireless and 5G as those people don't have a ****ing clue what they are talking about.

He was a very happy camper

Mentioned this before, met my local FG candidate the week before the cabinet announcement and said he would have my No.1 if they approved it. He said he'd have 24,000 votes if he could promise broadband to all those who had asked about it.

I've ruled out giving any preference to any party who's spoken against this as have other members of my family.

The Cush

Adrian Weckler interview with Richard Bruton in tomorrow’s Irish Independent + podcast.

This from @adrianweckler

- Value of finished NBP network ‘will be a small % of €2.6bn subsidy’
- Subsidy ‘didn’t change’ due to Eir pull-out; both Eir/GMcC NBP bids similar in price
- Considered ditching #NBP after Eir pullout
- 11 alternatives to current NBP process considered after Eir pullout
- All were “more expensive, more risky or would jeopardise delivering the project”
- Still won’t say what bidder’s allowed return/profit is (eg if more or less than Eir’s 8% allowed return on pole rental)


https://twitter.com/adrianweckler/status/1128782992678227970

The Cush

Strong rural support for FG's NBP decision

Varadkar upbeat as rural canvassers report support for broadband plan - Irish Times

Behind that, however, is a growing sense in Fine Gael that despite heavy political and media criticism of the broadband plan, it is being received quite well in rural Ireland.
…
TDs also act as a medium of communication between the grassroots and the party leadership. TDs and Ministers returned from their constituencies happy that the commitment to spend €5 billion – including €3 billion of public money – laying fibre-optic cable to every home and business in the country was being well received by voters two weeks before the local and European elections.

At the pre-Cabinet meeting of Fine Gael Ministers on Wednesday morning, the mood was upbeat (“bullish”, said one person present) about the public reaction to the broadband plan. There is some concern in Dublin, says another source. But it’s pretty good around the country.

Privately FF people agree with the decision and they wont collapse the government over it

Now Fine Gael TDs and councillors and candidates feel they have something to put against that.

“And the fact that the broadband plan is opposed by Dublin-based officials and commentators is doing it no harm at all,” says one rural TD gleefully. There are reasons to believe this analysis. One of them is that privately, many Fianna Fáilers say similar things. The party has been careful in its criticisms of the plan – as have others – to underline its support for the rollout of rural broadband as soon as possible.

Micheál Martin has said the Government should not sign the contract – but the party is clear that it is not going to press the nuclear button and threaten to bring down the Government. The nature of the nuclear button, of course, is that you can only press it once. This isn’t the time, and it certainly isn’t the issue.

“Of course, it’s popular,” says one Fianna Fáil source somewhat ruefully. “That’s why they did it before the election.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/varadkar-upbeat-as-rural-canvassers-report-support-for-broadband-plan-1.3893533

The Cush

In the Indo today

Adrian Weckler: 'New value on NBP network helps case, but more data is needed'
The Interview: 'If we were Google or Facebook, there would be a statue up to our investors' - Eir Chief


Richard Bruton interview
€5bn broadband network worth €350m - Bruton
Adrian Weckler's "Big Tech Show" podcast - May 16, 2019 - Discussion with Richard Bruton on The National Broadband Plan

The Cush

Good point here, election promise or genuine decision

Michael Fitzmaurice, TD for the Roscommon-Galway constituency, said that the Government had a tendency to “confuse announcement with delivery”, and that the Dáil must ensure that the Government doesn’t abandon its commitments “at the first opportunity”.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/fitzmaurice-committee-of-scrutiny-needed-for-broadband-plan/

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Good point here, election promise or genuine decision

Personally, I think that it’s an election promise. With the contract not due to be signed for another 6 months, it needs careful scrutiny.

Dero

Deleted User wrote: »

Personally, I think that it’s an election promise. With the contract not due to be signed for another 6 months, it needs careful scrutiny.

It's definitely an election tactic, but we're far enough into the process at this stage that I think it's more than a promise.

Having said that, I won't rest easy until I see fibre on the pole outside my house...

There's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

celticbhoy27

Dero wrote: »

It's definitely an election tactic, but we're far enough into the process at this stage that I think it's more than a promise.

Having said that, I won't rest easy until I see fibre on the pole outside my house...

There's many a slip twixt cup and lip.

Agreed it was an election tactic.theyl have to deliver though given the backlash and grilling from opposition parties.

celticbhoy27

https://twitter.com/philipbromwell/status/1128968246315671552?s=19

Dero

Pique wrote: »

Anyone emailed their local TDs on this?

I just emailed my local FG TD this morning to express support for this. Not only will I (and the four other voters in our household) vote for anyone who supports the NBP, we will actively exclude any candidate/party that opposes or attempts to stall it.

Mortelaro

I see imagine’s Latest ploy is to spin their service not only as 150Mb but the fastest way to get broadband to rural Ireland
There is a real risk that this NBP plan could be scuppered by Sinn Féins motion threatened for next week to scrap it and go back to the drawing board or the ESB

Orebro

Mortelaro wrote: »

I see imagine’s Latest ploy is to spin their service not only as 150Mb but the fastest way to get broadband to rural Ireland
There is a real risk that this NBP plan could be scuppered by Sinn Féins motion threatened for next week to scrap it and go back to the drawing board or the ESB

I don't think FF could stomach the noise from rural Ireland if they try to bring this down now - they know as well as anyone else that the feedback from rural Ireland has been mostly positive. Would be a very foolish move imho.

dashoonage

Count the votes. Cancel Nbp. Worry about it next time. Be grand.

nagel

ah me thinks this going no where Leo already putting up the excuses , from the news report https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0516/1049842-taoiseach-broadband-inspirefest/

down in the report he tells her that " my fear is the Opposition will stop the contract being signed and we'll be back to square one"

so dont get rid of threes 20e sim card yet

clohamon

nagel wrote: »

ah me thinks this going no where Leo already putting up the excuses , from the news report https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0516/1049842-taoiseach-broadband-inspirefest/

down in the report he tells her that " my fear is the Opposition will stop the contract being signed and we'll be back to square one"

so dont get rid of threes 20e sim card yet

Neat piece of electioneering by himself.

Ten Pin

Regarding pre-election promises and voting decisions...

IMO...

If a door to door sales person asked for €5k upfront now on a promise to maybe start fixing your roof in 6 months, should they get paid without a legally binding contract in place?

FF will make a pretend fuss about the NBP but continue to support FG regardless, as they've done since 2016 on most other issues.

FG are hoping that this NBP promise diminishes the memory of all the other controversies since 2016, time will tell if it works or not.

In any case, the NBP is a govt decision, not a county council or EU Parliament issue so it's theoretically not relevant to next weeks elections.

Ten Pin

https://twitter.com/philipbromwell/status/1128968246315671552?s=19

A 12-year-old girl from Co Mayo has challenged the Taoiseach on the Government's National Broadband Plan. Aoibheann Mangan...

https://mobile.twitter.com/AoibheannMangan

Is there not a minimum age requirement of 13 to use twitter?

westyIrl

nagel wrote: »

ah me thinks this going no where Leo already putting up the excuses , from the news report https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/0516/1049842-taoiseach-broadband-inspirefest/

down in the report he tells her that " my fear is the Opposition will stop the contract being signed and we'll be back to square one"

so dont get rid of threes 20e sim card yet

So true. However, barring an early election, if there isn't a contract signed (most likely in or around ploughing championships) and the rollout commenced by the next general election, FG will receive a backlash on the double if they are seen to have been just flying kites.

Likewise, FF will suffer if they are seen to be the cause of holding it up. Naturally, having the level of fanfare around selecting a preferred bidder as one would only expect to see on awarding of contract does worry me somewhat, but FG/FF would suffer long term in terms of their sizable rural vote if either was seen to scuttle the project at this stage.

They are too far down the road at this stage, fortunately.

Jim

Dero

westyIrl wrote: »

Naturally, having the level of fanfare around selecting a preferred bidder as one would only expect to see on awarding of contract does worry me somewhat

I think the fanfare now is solely aimed at getting FG a bump in the polls for the local/European elections. If they waited until the contract is signed to make the fanfare, they get the same reaction but can't capitalise on it in the same way.

I am hoping that it has reached the point of no return now (at least as far as the contract signing is concerned). I presume GMC would be somewhat miffed if it's pulled from under them at this point, but I don't know if there would be any potential legal ramifications if that happens.

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

The Joint Committee on Communications is to meet in private session on Thursday morning to discuss an investigation into the €5bn national broadband plan

First meeting of the Committee on the NBP will be with the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Robert Watt. Expected to complete in 8 weeks.

Timmy is chairing the committee, not sure if that's a good or bad thing?

The Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Robert Watt, is to be asked to appear before the Oireachtas Communications Committee next Wednesday as part of its investigation into the National Broadband Plan.

Committee Chairman, Fianna Fáil's Timmy Dooley, said the committee has agreed to carry out an investigation which will be completed within eight weeks. It will also look at the best means of rolling out rural broadband.

RTÉ News understands that the committee is to write to Mr Watt who to request his attendance at its first meeting on the issue next Wednesday.

Mr Watt had warned the Government that the plan posed a great financial risk and provided questionable benefits.

Documents released by the Government last week show that Mr Watt even went so far as to call for the process to be cancelled.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0516/1049822-national-broadband-plan/

glucifer

Another LEO - one with a brighter future
https://www.corkindependent.com/news/topics/articles/2019/05/15/4174131-internet-plan-out-of-this-world/

tsue921i8wljb3

glucifer wrote: »

Another LEO - one with a brighter future
https://www.corkindependent.com/news/topics/articles/2019/05/15/4174131-internet-plan-out-of-this-world/

“If the NBP was canned tomorrow, open eir, SIRO and all the providers would go out and install more fibre, investment would start in the way that it hasn’t in the years since the NBP was announced.

He must have missed the €250m that eir invested in rural areas because of the NBP, not to mention the ongoing urban rollouts by SIRO and Virgin.

celticbhoy27

Siena Gigantic Backyard wrote: »

He must have missed the €250m that eir invested in rural areas because of the NBP, not to mention the ongoing urban rollouts by SIRO and Virgin.

Boreen this boreen that. **** off you pretentious clown

cregmon

eir signs deal to build out FTTH network, delivering 1.4m connections in Ireland

By Chris Kelly, Total Telecom
Thursday 16 May 19

eir and KN Circet will work together on the rollout, as part of eir's €500m commitment to FTTH services in Ireland
Irish telecoms provider, eir, has agreed a deal with KN Circet to build the Optical Distribution Network (ODN) that will underpin the rollout of full fibre services to 1.4 million people in Ireland.

KN Circet will be responsible for the end-to-ed rollout of eir's network, providing gigabit capable, fibre to the home (FTTH) services. The announcement marks the commencement of the next stage of eir's €500m fixed network investment programme.

“I am delighted to partner with KN Circet on the roll-out of eir’s urban FTTH network, as part of our €1 billion capital investment programme over the next five years. KN Circet has been a major partner to eir for over 12 years and in that time, we have developed a close working relationship. It has been a major contractor on the roll-out of eir’s rural FTTH network which by June of this year will have passed over 335,000 premises. With the signing of this agreement, I’m confident that together, we will successfully deliver Ireland’s best urban FTTH network for the benefit of all our customers,” said Carolan Lennon, CEO of eir.

The network will cover every town and city in Ireland with a population of more than 1,000 residents.

ED E

Great, some real urban competition outside of the small SIRO footprint now.

clohamon

The Cush wrote: »

First meeting of the Committee on the NBP will be with the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Robert Watt. Expected to complete in 8 weeks.

Timmy is chairing the committee, not sure if that's a good or bad thing?

Timmy's probably done the numbers. There's only 3 FG and Michael Lowry who would definitely support the Minister. He can probably get enough of the rest to agree to a damaging report and then ask that it gets debated in the Dáil before the recess. Who knows what FF leadership would do then.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/32/communications-climate-action-and-environment/membership/