Delivery of 5 Cs will Spur Broadband Uptake / Comreg Consultation on Broadband

dahamsta

Press release from ConReg. I realise that some people love PR monkey stuff like this, but shouldn't ConReg be too busy for this right now?

Cost, Content, Confidence, Competition and Convenience – the Five Cs – will drive broadband rollout in Ireland - if we get them right - according to ComReg’s response to its Consultation on the Future Delivery of Broadband in Ireland which was issued today Tuesday 21st January 2003.

Cost: Low pricing will achieve widespread take up of broadband services according to the majority of respondents. Market experience here and abroad has clearly shown that high pricing has not achieved results. EsatBT’s entry level ADSL product (256kbit/s) available from some exchanges at a price below €50 is a step in the right direction. ComReg believes that such lower priced ‘step-up’ packages may provide a convenient, attractive means for many micro business and residential users to get on to broadband. The recent ComReg decision on FRIACO – the flat rate narrowband wholesale product should stimulate greater use of the Internet and hopefully, in time, encourage a greater desire among users to move to a broadband service.

Competition: In many other countries, the competitive catalyst to roll-out of broadband has been the cable companies. To date, this is not the case in Ireland but with some improvements in financial circumstances ComReg would encourage renewed interest in broadband delivery via cable networks. ComReg looks forward also to the arrival of 3G later this year which will provide new opportunities for Internet and data services. This paper also examines current ComReg initiatives which underpin competition in broadband supply. Of these, the one which may have the biggest impact in developing competition is the introduction of partial private circuits. This type of product can reduce the cost of leased lines to other operators, which in turn has the potential to result in price reductions to end-users across a wide range of Internet and data services.

Confidence: Consumer and SME confidence in using the Internet and e-commerce is a significant factor and bolstering demand side initiatives to plug this gap would be a major step forward.

Convenience: Consumers want a service that is convenient and ComReg believes that many lessons may be learned from the success of the mobile market. Here,the development of simple, innovative and user-friendly services have made the mobile phone the communications tool of choice for the Irish people. In work and play people are now constantly on the move and service providers should exploit the opportunities in this area. In addition to mobile, other radio-based services can play a greater part in the delivery of broadband and notes that there is increasing interest in satellite, FWA and W-LANs.

Content: If information on the web is informative, interesting, useful and cost-effective more users will be interested in logging on. If people can save time and money by doing online something that they normally had to leave the house for, they will use the Internet. Similarly, business users need to develop their e-commerce capabilities for the very same reasons.

“The way we communicate and what we use communications for in this country has dramatically changed over the last decade. The ‘broadband’ gap remains a key challenge for Ireland, but one we can resolve with broadly based action on the 5Cs” said Etain Doyle Chairperson of ComReg. “The level of interest and understanding of the issues is expanding and we hope that our contribution in terms of regulatory measures and published analysis will spur on development”.

The full document – Future Delivery of Broadband in Ireland – Response to Consultation (ComReg 03/08) is available on www.comreg.ie

PiE

Confidence: Consumer and SME confidence in using the Internet and e-commerce is a significant factor and bolstering demand side initiatives to plug this gap would be a major step forward

Horseshit.

Content: If information on the web is informative, interesting, useful and cost-effective more users will be interested in logging on. If people can save time and money by doing online something that they normally had to leave the house for, they will use the Internet. Similarly, business users need to develop their e-commerce capabilities for the very same reasons.

Partially true, but on the whole; Horseshit.

“The way we communicate and what we use communications for in this country has dramatically changed over the last decade"

No it hasn't. We're still using decades old technology.

“The level of interest and understanding of the issues is expanding and we hope that our contribution in terms of regulatory measures and published analysis will spur on development”.

What exactly have ComReg or the ODTR done to increase public awareness of the problems?

And yea, they should have more important things to be doing than thinking up this manure.

spongebob

Comreg have today published the result of the consultation on Broadband policy over the next year or two.

The document contains respondents positions (Including IoffL and NOT including Eircom) of which there were 12 .

Comreg then gives its position on the issues

Here are a few snippets

Re: Demand!

ComReg also notes that, amongst other factors , MRBI’s research provided evidence of price, and flat-rate pricing in particular, being a key factor in stimulating Internet demand.

Re: Pairgains and other junk on Eircoms Wires

Whilst ComReg appreciates that some telephone lines may not be suitable for DSL services on account of the distance of the customer’s premise from the exchange, or particularly in rural areas, the presence of ‘loading coils’ and ‘bridge taps’ in the local loop, ComReg is concerned to hear reports of a disproportionate level of line test failures in urban areas, where distance is generally less of an issue and degradations in the local loop would not usually be expected. ComReg intends to continue monitoring this situation and will follow up with eircom if necessary.

Distance (over 5km at present) is the only reason why a line should fail a DSL test is what they mean by the above.

They also pointed out that the new USO is currently under consultation and left open the possibility that they see 'functional internet access' as a live issue.

2 Very important Points of note here

1. Comreg only believe they can REALLY force introduction of services PREDEFINED in the USO, otherwise we are faffing around with what is 'REASONABLE' . The following paragraph is instructive.

Without a reasonable request from an OLO for such a product, ComReg cannot force eircom to offer any retail product over and above the set of services already outlined in their universal service obligation (USO).

2. They hint strongly that they will accept the 56k MINIMUM standard in the next USO but want to hear SUBMISSIONS about it .......LOTS of submissions

Recital 8 of the Directive further describes ‘functional Internet access’ as speeds of up to 56kbit/s, however, it is explicitly recognised that the data rate is dependent on a number of factors which include the level of network development, modem speeds, the subscriber’s terminal equipment, the given application for which a connection is being used, and the ISP connection.

Given the strategic importance of this issue for the future development of the Irish Internet market, ComReg would encourage further debate on the matter. To this end, ComReg would therefore like to draw the attention of readers to the recently issued consultation on ‘The Future Framework for Regulation of the Universal Service in the Irish Market’ (02/116). This consultation seeks respondents’ views as to the definition of ‘functional Internet access’ and comments are welcome from all interested parties on this or any of the issues raised in the paper. The closing date for responses is 11th February 2003.

So its 56k (with a bit of yadda yadda) AND they WANT to hear further debate. The further debate is not intended to reduce speed is it......naaaaah. Wonder if €ircon will respond to the USO consultation ????

The full report is Here

The USO consultation (try to answer their questions and divvy up your points to the suitable question , that is Here

The Dept of Communications are not to be outdone, they are running a consultation on the USO Here but you have to email the responses to niall.osullivan@dcmnr.ie . This seems to be a statutory instrument.
The DCMNR consultation finishes earlier than the 11/02 .........

M

Ardmore

Originally quoted by dahamsta from Comreg press release
EsatBT’s entry level ADSL product (256kbit/s) available from some exchanges at a price below €50

Aarrgh!!! It's not €50, us ordinary taxpayers don't have the option of not paying VAT!

It's bad enough that Eircom and ESAT quote ex-VAT prices, but when civil serveants start parroting them it pisses me off!

(Mary Harney was on about broadband on Morning Ireland this morning - I want someone to ask her whether she has broadband in her home, and if not why not?)

zynaps

Confidence: Consumer and SME confidence in using the Internet and e-commerce is a significant factor and bolstering demand side initiatives to plug this gap would be a major step forward

Perhaps if we had something to be confident in...
We don't need side initiatives, we need cheap and widely available fast internet access, because we don't have it in any way at present.

Idiots, do yer jobs, instead of fluffing us with this stuff!
*kicks comreg*

spongebob

The press release was fluff but the CONSULTATION itself wasn't.

M

sceptre

Mods! pls merge mine and this
Done - hopefully the right one

ozt9vdujny3srf

Cost(important, Content(erm.. as in internet content? wat does content have to do with bitrate), Confidence(wtf?), Competition(yes bloody important) and Convenience(yes very important)

But it reeks of pr ****

Damian

They're a right shower of C***'s if you ask me.

zynaps

Damn straight!

De Rebel

ComReg said
Delivery of 5 Cs will Spur Broadband Uptake

/me agrees with ComReg

Cost Cost Cost Cost Cost

and cut the

Crap Crap Crap Crap Crap

Chaos-Engine

whats next???

a 10 year plan

lol

Dr99

Originally posted by Chaos-Engine
whats next???

a 10 year plan

lol

I think you are being a bit optimistic with that Time frame Chaos-Engine!

Scottish

Looks like they have had some consultants in - formulating a "consumer uptake matrix". The words "consulting" "accenture" and "waffle" spring irrestibly to mind

dahamsta

The words "consulting" "accenture" and "waffle" spring irrestibly to mind

Also "synergy" and "marketroid muppet".

adam