Comreg Report on DSL...wahay!

spongebob

This is 'forward looking' document. These are matters that will be foremost in the Regulators mind when dealing with Broadband Access/Competition and Universal Service entitlement issues over the next year to 18 months or so.

There is a disclaimer denying precisely what I have just said above, its on page 3, the prominence of the disclaimer relative to the contents of the document is always indicative of its 'real' importance.

Some quotes (post disclaimer}

Mini Cabs

In Ireland, as in other countries, some of the PSTN lines are longer than 4km, and therefore might be unsuitable at present for DSL. However, there are a number of approaches that may alleviate this. It would appear that one relatively inexpensive approach is for operators to install miniature DSLAMs , either alongside or integrated with remote terminals such as concentrators and digital loop carriers (DLC) in the PSTN (e.g. in street cabinets) . This approach would bring an operator’s DSL access points (i.e. DSLAMs) closer to end users ,

Cost of Installation issues

An important development in DSL systems are modems that can be installed by the user without the need for manual configuration by network engineers. Self-installation should lead to lower setup costs per customer. Self-installation is typically done using kits that include low cost filters (splitters), a DSL modem and configuration software that the users can install themselves . These solutions are not currently available in Ireland.

Then the number of exchanges

The size of local exchanges, which dictates how many customers can be connected, is also an important factor contributing to the cost of DSL systems. In Ireland, compared to some other countries, the ratio of local exchanges to telephone lines is relatively high (over 1000 exchanges for 1.7 million lines – i.e. Ireland’s exchanges are relatively small (1700 lines each on average)

VDSL is NOW in the pipeline

ComReg has been active with operators in developing a frequency management plan. The first copper loop frequency management plan (CLFMP) for Ireland was published on the eircom website in April 2002, followed by an updated version in December 2002 . Future versions of the CLFMP are planned to include provision for VDSL

Interesting

M

ozpass

VDSL is NOW in the pipeline

I hope you aren't referring to an Irish pipeline. It'll get stuck in the 'last mile', trickling through at a paltry 56K. [like the BT ad: "Get back in the Oirish poip, naaah!"]

The bit about installing mini-DSLAM's is interesting though. Are they significantly more costly to install, does anyone know?

ando

thats good news. my house is 5.2 km away from my Dsl enabled exchange

vinnyfitz

http://www.comreg.ie/docs.asp?Type=Year&Year=2003&Image=images/docs_issued2003.gif

longword

Originally posted by ozpass
Thee bit about installing mini-DSLAM's is interesting though. Are they significantly more costly to install, does anyone know?

They're a lot more effort to install and maintain because rather than concentrating everything in a nice big exchange they have to send the boys out to the thousands of street cabinets to install them and return to make changes (add users) as required. The cost of the equipment probably isn't a significant factor.

Note that most of the next generation technologies like VDSL have to be installed in the street cabinets anyway. That might require laying fiber to the cabinets though to get a decent bit of bandwidth delivered there to cover VDSL. Of course that's way down the road and might well never be seen in this country.

theciscokid

Originally posted by vinnyfitz
http://www.comreg.ie/docs.asp?Type=Year&Year=2003&Image=images/docs_issued2003.gif

that chick on the comreg site is a hottie

i always thought anyway

pork99

Note that most of the next generation technologies like VDSL have to be installed in the street cabinets anyway. That might require laying fiber to the cabinets though to get a decent bit of bandwidth delivered there to cover VDSL. Of course that's way down the road and might well never be seen in this country.

wireless anyone?

that chick on the comreg site is a hottie

I've certainly woken up next to worse (drink was involved)

longword

Originally posted by pork99
wireless anyone?

Wireless is difficult to do for a mass market. There's only so much spectrum to go around and you can't go installing point-to-point links for everyone, it's just not practical. IMHO it only makes sense for truely rural areas.

spongebob

Originally posted by pork99
wireless anyone?

The Planning Problems are Becoming Insurmountable.

Irish people live in highly dispersed micro communities, unlike the Rural English who live clustered in villages and not in ribbonised developments.

Some County Development Plans such as the new Galway one will NOT ALLOW a house to be built within .8KM of a GSM Cell, and the opposite will apply as well which is precisely what the planners want. It was up to 1.6Km distance in the draft plan which was only amended last month. The Corpo in Galway City may have more cop on , if every home built in Galway City had to be 0.8Km from a GSM cell the planners would have an easy life all right.

This will cause major difficulty when 3G starts to roll out this year but try telling the gobsh1tes who call themselves 'planners' in Galway.

802.nn Wireless Ethernets will probably be lumped in with Mobile Cells as far as the planners are concerned (in Galway anyway) so you can forget about masts EXCEPT up on mountains (or deep within forestries) and the like.

These guys actually don't know the Irish word for 'teacher' (in 2002 in a a Gaeltacht county) so don't expect them to understand the subtleties behind EIRP and OMNI Vs Directional.

802.nn technology is a pretty sub-optimal technology at present where the Minimum range from a target customer happens to be 800m.

M

zynaps

Ahhh.... is this an environmental concern thing, so they look like they're defending the country against brainmelt, then?
Will they be distributing tin foil hats too?

That's like having light pollution rules against lasers, or something...
Maybe they think that although it's directional wireless, the beams will give off some kind of cancer-vapour.

Smart, eh!

zynaps

LFCFan

this country is run by morons so what do you expect!