What exactly has Ireland Offline accompolished.

dahamsta

Just who are the EU going to fine and about what?

Ireland. For non-compliance with their LLU directive. Yes, you're right, in regulatory terms the local loop has been unbundled, but physically it hasn't. I'm not sure if the directive caters for that, but the argument that has been unbundled is a political viewpoint. In real terms, it hasn't.

Someone has to ask for the loop to be unbundled before eircom have to do it.

Someone has.

And with the current telecoms market sentiment who's done that? Or who will.

The big boys who can afford it. Local loop unbundling is expensive, but it's not *that* expensive.

adam

smokin' an'chewin' man

Originally posted by ekehoe

Wow...I'm sorry that we're busy with our lives right now, but that is what pays the bills. None of us have ever gotten a dime for what we're doing as IrelandOffline, but I know we've each spent quite a bit.


This is not a personal thing - but surely if people are too busy then other people need to be brought in ? Isn't that the way an activist pressure group has to work ? though how people can come on board is a mystery without the public having an opportunity to attend public meetings. There are people out there who would be enthusiastic I am sure but not for a 'virtual' campaign that it is looking more and more like.


We are all still working on IrelandOffline things. Just because they aren't all posted on here doesn't mean things aren't happening in the background. We have had meetings, I've gotten calls from the media asking for our reaction to things that have come up, and they wouldn't be doing that if we hadn't made an impact.

I'm sorry that you feel that we're just sitting back and not doing much. We have opened a dialogue with the ODTR, Eircom and Esat to the point that I can send an email to someone at each company, and get a speedy reply. I don't know many other folks who can say that right now.


Well perhaps if people knew more about what is going on then progress and activity would not seem so sparce. What have individual politicans said in response ? what have ODTR and Eircom had to say in these correspondences ? What has the minister to say these days ? Why the reluctance ?


As for the Blackout, what's the beef? We're doing something that was suggested by the members, not the committee, and was eagerly taken up by most people, from what I've seen. We're a big group of people now, and all the input is valuable. At least we're doing something, contrary to your beliefs.


Like the verry few others that have the balls to defy the enforcers on the board, I am just calling it like it looks. A blackout as an idea isn't so bad, but as the ONLY idea ? a big let down after all the plans at the start.


Right now the ODTR and Eircom are in a little pissing match, and not much can happen until after the High Court decides. We can try talking to the EU, but I (being due to give birth in 6 weeks) can't fly to Brussels, and everyone else here has a job.


How come there has been no public meetings in the big smoke or around the country ? Yes a seminar, which was brilliant. But then nothing. It appears to have descended to a sole existance of this board discussion which has stagnated. How can people not into boards get involved ? Why no public meetings ? weren't these planned and discussed at the beginning ? How can people who ARE willing to do stuff be found if the sole existance of this campaign is in virtual space ?


I can take criticism (barely :-) ), and I listen to what everyone says. But make sure you have all the facts before jumping on us. We're ramping up again after a silence, and I know that we'll get some great media coverage from the Blackout.


Again there is no personal criticism being tossed around here. Facts ? what acts ? there are none. that's the trouble. How many months is it since the original meeting and the seminar ? NO other opportunity for people anywhere to meet. It's looking more and more like the bunch of net nerds that we were afraid we would be seen for.
People I am in touch with are constantly asking about standard letters for politicians, fact sheets on BB and flat rate issues yet there is almost nothing yet available on the 3 sites after all these months.


Are you going to participate in the Blackout, or just stay on here with your comments? The more who stay off that day, the better for all....


I do not believe for one minute that that statement makes any sense whatsoever. As part of a campaign perhaps, but as the sole public activity of a promising pressure group it is too little and becoming too late.

This whole thing needs a shot in the arm and there is only one thing that can do that - public meetings.

Dangger

The whole thing needs a shot int the arm

Here here, and what has happened outside of the IOFFL loop in the mean time? Ands lets be honest after our card was played we allowed ample time to let the other parties play a hand.

Well after the seminar our members were up to speed and the parties involved were brought into the firing line.

The ODTR have gone to court with Eircom, the court date is set, Esat and the rest are to be dragged in too. Yahoo more litigation.

Eircom shot themselves in the foot (on purpose) with the DSL pricing (no surprise there).

The global telcoms slump has been a god send to Eircom to step up the spiel on their foot dragging tactics, heaven forbid them cutting their revenue to provide us all with rates in line with the rest of Europe for Internet access.

Mary Harney has continued the Irish shananigans by granting ridiculous special favours to O'Reilly allowing Eircom to change hands, incurring almost £3 billion in debt overnight! The government has bent over backwards to amend tax laws for O'Reilly also (thanks Charlie).

And now IrelandOffline have decided to step up to the plate once more armed with more support and bolstored by contiunued political interest. Yes its been a while since the seminar, and yes a lot has happened in the interim amongst the other parties. We supplied the rope. The farce continues. Did you know the Networked Economy:Infrastructure Advisory Group (http://www.isc.ie/about_us/ag4_infrastructure.html) was dismissed last December 2000 with practically none of their suggestions put in to practice. No surprises there, as Eircom and Esat were both members and it can be argued that bith acted to protect their interests.

THIS IS WHY IRELAND OFFLINE IS STILL A WORTHY CAUSE. Without it our arguing rambling ranting and raving goes unheard, without it our lobbying is weak and unstructured. Together the concerned members of the pressure group can ensure that a unified voice is heard crying out of our pathetic 56k lines (the lucky ones).



David Long
Vice Chairman IrelandOffline


"Did I ask too much more than alot, Eircom gave me nothing now its all I got"