Smart employee happy to answer questions on bb rollout

Adey2002

Garfield,

Firstly, thanks for making yourself available to answer questions. It's appreciated. Secondly, my question. I have looked through the posts so I'm fairly sure that this hasn't been asked yet..
1. Can you avail of the service if you haven't currently got a telephone service?
2. When ordering online, would it be ok to put in an old eircom number which is no longer connected?

Thanks

Dades

Garfield, is it true that one can avail of being one of the 100K happy ones only and only if we fillin the direct debit forms (even though the service isn't available yet in most areas)?

I would also like to know the answer to this.

As would I - this is important!

I also signed that petition for a higher upload.
Methinks 128k will be offputting for a lot of people.

Q_Ball

hey garfield, good to see someone willing to brave the boards!

If i'm already a customer with smart telecom and getting free line rental as is, will the line rental remain free if i get the bb package?

all the best

GarfieldConnoll

regedit wrote:

I supose the sooner Garfield posts the list of exchanges, we can get down to asking more precise questions.

Garfield, is it true that one can avail of being one of the 100K happy ones only and only if we fillin the direct debit forms (even though the service isn't available yet in most areas)?

The free line rental offer is open to the first 100K that have signed up for the service. Signing up includes direct debit.

No charges are levied until the service is made available.
If your line fails our line test, the contract is null and void.
If we don't get to the exchange when we said we would, you can choose to wait, or invalidate the contract.

Hope this answers the questions.

I know there are a couple of other questions outstanding from other posts. I said at the outset that I'ld be as frank as I can be, that I wouldn't avoid questions and that if I wanted to ignore questions, I'ld say as much. I'll get to these other questions when I can.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

Adey2002 wrote:

Garfield,

Firstly, thanks for making yourself available to answer questions. It's appreciated. Secondly, my question. I have looked through the posts so I'm fairly sure that this hasn't been asked yet..
1. Can you avail of the service if you haven't currently got a telephone service?
2. When ordering online, would it be ok to put in an old eircom number which is no longer connected?

Thanks

Adey2002,

1. You need a phone line.
2. Not really. I see your point about getting your registration in now, but we aren't allowing people to signup if we don't know when we're getting to their exchange. So same would apply here. I think.

Garfield.

halenger

GarfieldConnoll wrote:

The free line rental offer is open to the first 100K that have signed up for the service. Signing up includes direct debit.

I've seen the question asked a number of times on this thread already but I have yet to see an answer on it.

What will the line rental charge be if one is not one of the first 100k to be connected? I know given the current market it'd be hard enough not to be in the first 100k but I'd still like to know.

Also another person who'd prefer the 256k up. It's incredibly difficult to do any VNC work on 128 - I just find it slow and painful. I also do some work with video processing and sometimes need to check the results of a job while away from home - it takes far far too long to transfer a 10/50mb file over 128k. Unless my maths is incorrect it's just over 14 minutes to transfer 10mb on typical upload that I get (~12kilobytes/sec).

Nevyn

GarfieldConnoll wrote:

The free line rental offer is open to the first 100K that have signed up for the service. Signing up includes direct debit.

No charges are levied until the service is made available.
If your line fails our line test, the contract is null and void.
Garfield.

So you want people to give you thier bank account details with permission to remove money before you will even bother to see if you can provide them with a service ?

And you still have to have an eircom account to sign up, so even if you never wanted
an eircom account again and swore they would never get another cent off you
you need to go and pay them connection fees and at least 2 mnth line rentail
to start waiting for SMart to be able and get arround to connecting thier service up.

WizZard

Garfield, I have one question for you.

Before I ask, thanks for coming on here and listening to us!

Question:
If I was to sign up now for the service as it currently stands, this is similar to signing a contract. But if Smart decide to offer a different service by July/August, one with a higher upload bandwidth, will it be possible for me to change to that one. Or will I be tied into the current offering?
And if I can change will there be a fee?

Thanks

Mountjoy Mugger

Garfield, I'm not sure if this has been asked. I can't remember seeing an answer to it in any case.

For current BB subscribers who are required to give one month's notice to their providor, will they be given reasonable warning in advance of their install date by Smart so they can give the required notice?

Cheers.

MM

Adey2002

Thaed wrote:

....

..... And you still have to have an eircom account to sign up, so even if you never wanted an eircom account again and swore they would never get another cent off you you need to go and pay them connection fees and at least 2 mnth line rentail to start waiting for SMart to be able and get arround to connecting thier service up.

I totally agree, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to sign up for an eircom line, just to get smart. I though the idea of LLU and having your own equipment in exchanges was that you didn't rely on eircom for anything. You may as well just be reselling eircom services.

Splendid

Same here, i really don't want to connect to Eircom, just to switch over to Smart.

squishey

Ditto, I have been emailing them yesterday/today saying the same thing. but they keep telling me that I have to get an eircom line first.

Why do we need to get an eircom account first?

iano

Garfield,
Can you please clarify what type of CPE that you will be providing?
The website seems to use the terms modem and router interchangably.
What equipment will be provided:
1. As standard?
2. For the €150 wireless option?

Thanks.

digitaldr

Hi garfield - will you be throttling p2p traffic?

snappieT

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

I would also like to voice my support for more upload speed. On the other hand I don't like giving my e-mail address out so I'm not going to sign the petition, I would pay €50 for 768 up.

Though you give your email address, nobody will ever see it. It's just to verify that you exist. I've signed many of these petitions and never have been spammed

GarfieldConnoll

halenger wrote:

What will the line rental charge be if one is not one of the first 100k to be connected? I know given the current market it'd be hard enough not to be in the first 100k but I'd still like to know.

Line rental would be eircom equivalent.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

digitaldr wrote:

Hi garfield - will you be throttling p2p traffic?

No, we'll be throttling people who do it ;-)

Good question. Bit of a suck it and see.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

iano wrote:

Garfield,
Can you please clarify what type of CPE that you will be providing?
The website seems to use the terms modem and router interchangably.
What equipment will be provided:
1. As standard?
2. For the €150 wireless option?

Thanks.

Iano,

ADSL2+ Ethernet and USB four port router as standard

The reason the term is used interchangably is we don't want to confuse the vast majority that think routers are for business only.

Wireless model is as above with 802.11g

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

Adey2002 wrote:

I totally agree, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to sign up for an eircom line, just to get smart. I though the idea of LLU and having your own equipment in exchanges was that you didn't rely on eircom for anything. You may as well just be reselling eircom services.

Adey2002. Hold on a second there now. Reselling eircom services is using bitstream.

That is absolutely not what we are doing. The only piece of the eircom network we use is the copper pair into your house. No eircom electronics, so to speak. You need a copper pair into the house.

You can order that via us and we can order it from eircom on your behalf, or you can order it directly from eircom. Either one.

Garfield.

ricey

Right just read all this tread and your deal seems 2 b great
have you any info on wen it might b available in limerick?

Splendid

Hey Garfield,

Again thanks for replying to these, when i rang yesterday the girl told me she could only sign me up with an Eircom account because they use the number to find out what excahnge to use etc. I know the old number of the house i'm in, should that allow me to set up? And avoid Eircom?

Thanks

GarfieldConnoll

Thaed wrote:

So you want people to give you thier bank account details with permission to remove money before you will even bother to see if you can provide them with a service ?

Given the caveats on the contract, we don't think that is unreasonable. If you want to wait until we're at the exchange and do the line test then, fair enough.

Thaed wrote:

And you still have to have an eircom account to sign up, so even if you never wanted
an eircom account again and swore they would never get another cent off you
you need to go and pay them connection fees and at least 2 mnth line rentail
to start waiting for SMart to be able and get arround to connecting thier service up.

You can order the line via ourselves. You don't have to deal with eircom. But essentially, you do need an eircom retail line so we can unbundle it. Whether that line comes via ourselves or direct from eircom is up to you.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

WizZard wrote:

Garfield, I have one question for you.

Before I ask, thanks for coming on here and listening to us!

Question:
If I was to sign up now for the service as it currently stands, this is similar to signing a contract. But if Smart decide to offer a different service by July/August, one with a higher upload bandwidth, will it be possible for me to change to that one. Or will I be tied into the current offering?
And if I can change will there be a fee?

Thanks

WizZard,

If we change the default product, everyone will get it. If we offer an alternate product, you can choose at that point which one to be on.
Will there be a fee? For changing service or a change in fee for a different service? Good question. We wouldn't charge you to change the service, but the new service might have a different charge.

Hope that makes sense.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

Mountjoy Mugger wrote:

Garfield, I'm not sure if this has been asked. I can't remember seeing an answer to it in any case.

For current BB subscribers who are required to give one month's notice to their providor, will they be given reasonable warning in advance of their install date by Smart so they can give the required notice?

Cheers.

MM

Yes. There have been a few other questions on co-ordination.
1. So customers can co-ordinate their retail contracts.
2. So cut over can be co-ordinated technically to avoid downtime of service.

I'll be posting more on this, hopefully tomorrow.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

daramullally wrote:

I have signed up on the website - LUCAN, BALLYDOWD exchange which will be available in July/Ausgust. I filled in the information regarding address and eircom account no. etc. Then I was sent a Direct Debit Mandate form. Is this necessary at this stage so that I am included in the 1st 100,000 or is not needed until July/August?

I was told that someone would contact me regarding my application. How should I expect to wait for a call?

The direct debit is part of the contract. If you return it now, you're in the first 100K. No charges levied until service is delivered of course. If we're late getting there, we'll let you know and you can decide to wait or not.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

egan007 wrote:

Hi
Broadband is available on my line accouding to your site
If i select the option -

Don’t sign me up for Smart Broadband just yet, but I am interested in becoming a Smart customer so that I can upgrade to Smart Broadband later

Will i be included in the 1st 100000 for free line rental?

No. However, if you're a Smart customer, we will prioritise your request over non-Smart customers. So the hierarchy for deliver of service is:

1. Signed up customers (first 100K free line rental)
2. Existing Smart customers who choose to sign up closer to the time
3. Everybody else.

Garfield.

Raskolnikov

I don't suppose there's any information on Carrigaline, Co. Cork being unbundled? I also have to second the motion that 128K upload is not enough, I really don't see why you can't do tiered products like Praetorian suggested.

GarfieldConnoll

Raskolnikov wrote:

I don't suppose there's any information on Carrigaline, Co. Cork being unbundled? I also have to second the motion that 128K upload is not enough, I really don't see why you can't do tiered products like Praetorian suggested.

No news on Carrigaline. I've been asked about that seperately. We don't have fibre assets near by at this point.

Sorry.

Garfield.

cerbeus

I've seen Dundalk on the rollout schedule. Is there any timescale on when Drogheda will be done?

Undercoverguy

Ok i pretty sure i know te deal here.... But just to confirm.
I for one owe eircom about 50euro, and havnt paid them and have no intentions on paying them down to lets just say an difference of opinon. The line had been disconnected on my request and the account is closed however the 50euro balance still stands, and eircom seams rather happy to leave it at that.
However what if i would like Smart Broadband installed? Do i have to pay eircom to get the line? Or could i get another resident of the house such as my girlfriend to apply?