New Non-Line-Of-Sight Wireless Broadband invention, 20 mile range

timod

Originally posted by Muck

Please tell me when Chorus will comply with this General Licence Proision in "insert my county" . If you are already compliant, please inform me of how I can apply for this product, marketed as 'Powernet'.

course, we all know what the reply is going to be...

Thank you for your enquiry. we hope to launch Powernet in your area in the next 3 months...

At least that what I got anytime I enquired!

spongebob

they 'could' do so in Cork because they have the Antennae. In most cases they don't have the Antennae and are not allowed to put them up ANYWHERE, EVER as and from January 21 2003

From This Document

...in order to limit the roll-out of the FWPMA narrowband network to the 36 base stations deployed and providing FWPMA services as of August 2002.

In other words, if the tower was up by August last year then they could possibly offer the service. Here are the 36 towers and their nominal coverage in KM SQ


County Base Station Coverage (Sq. km)
Dublin Treasury 314
Clare Ennis x 2 263.74
Clare Woodcock North 282.05
Clare Woodcock South x 2 298.16
Cork Blarney 191
Cork Carrigaline 67
Cork Charleville 106
Cork Churchfield 170
Cork Clonakilty 121
Cork Cobh 9
Cork Cork Airport x 2 170
Cork Kanturk 505
Cork Kinsale 31
Cork Macroom 222
Cork Mallow 41
Cork Midleton 125
Cork Carron1 (Buttevant) 348
Cork Carron2 (Kilmallock) 462
Cork Nowen Hill (Dunmanway) 178
Cork Skibbereen 98
Limerick Newcastle West 476
Limerick Castleconnell 10
Limerick Raheen 10
Tipperary Nenagh 614
Tipperary Keeper Hill 358
Tipperary Roscrea x 2 488
Waterford Clashmore 273
Kildare Dunmurray 1751
Kilkenny Ballyspellan 837
Louth Mt. Oriel 901
Meath Dunshaughlin x 2 488

Th evast bulk of these are in a cluster around Limerick and Cork cities with a smattering elsewhere.

If you are in Donegal or Mayo or Cavan or Westmeath or Galway then there is no tower on the list above.

They may NOT put one up since the 21/01/03

Therefore they cannot possibly Offer you such a service because they DO not and WILL not have a tower in the area......I know its Chorus we are talking about here but I told ye to write to the head of Regulatory affairs who knows all this perfectly well, he's the guy of whom Comreg said in the linked document that

Despite extensive contacts with Chorus, ComReg has been unable to get timely information from the company ....

M

crawler

I MUST keep saying this - "Muck has a big brain".

yellum

Originally posted by crawler
I MUST keep saying this - "Muck has a big brain".

Your username is so apt CRAWLER

MagicBusDriver

lol

fixer

if the 2.5Ghz license were stripped from Chorus, who do you see as willing to spend millions to build a network on this band?

SkepticOne

Originally posted by oscarBravo
I can't find Eircom's FWPMA license, but it seems fair to assume that the terms are the same. I have an Eircom FWPMA line, and they've refused to offer me ISDN on it! Can they do that if the terms of the license require them to offer the product?

From ComReg's recently updated FWPMA licence for Eircom (document), the basic data requirements are:

1. ISDN (Basic Rate).
2. Leased Lines (64 kbit/sec, 128 kbit/sec from launch and 384 kbit/sec within 11 months
from the Designated Commencement Date).
3. Flexible Bandwidth.
4. X25.
5. Frame Relay (128 kbit/sec from launch and 384 kbit/sec within 11 months
from the Designated Commencement Date).
6. IP Packet Services (speeds of 3Mbit/sec within 28 months of the Designated Commencement Date).

It also mentions that tarrifs should be the same as for wired services.

Note also, the fines on pages 14 and 15.

I believe the original licence was issued in 1999 and therefore all these services should be now in place. You are within the coverage area since you are getting basic voice via this licence, yet Eircom are refusing to provide you with this other service namely ISDN.

It would therefore appear that Eircom are abusing their licence to your detriment.

oscarBravo

Originally posted by SkepticOne
I believe the original licence was issued in 1999 and therefore all these services should be now in place. You are within the coverage area since you are getting basic voice via this licence, yet Eircom are refusing to provide you with this other service namely ISDN.

It would therefore appear that Eircom are abusing their licence to your detriment.

Woohoo!! Time to start writing letters!

They did make it clear that the reason they didn't want to give it to me was because their equipment costs would be prohibitively high, but I'm sure that's not an acceptable reason from a regulatory perspective.

yellum

Originally posted by oscarBravo

They did make it clear that the reason they didn't want to give it to me was because their equipment costs would be prohibitively high, but I'm sure that's not an acceptable reason from a regulatory perspective.

Know anyone else on the service ? Get them to write letters too.

As for high equipment costs, just ask them to remind you how much they make an hour , a day and a year.

SkepticOne

This is the original document issued in 1999: http://www.comreg.ie/docs/odtr9940.doc

SkepticOne

Originally posted by oscarBravo
Woohoo!! Time to start writing letters!

They did make it clear that the reason they didn't want to give it to me was because their equipment costs would be prohibitively high, but I'm sure that's not an acceptable reason from a regulatory perspective.

Remind them of the fines and explain how they will be saving money by complying.

oscarBravo

/me takes a break from writing beautifully crafted epistles...

Anyone care to speculate on how this might work out for me: I currently have two lines, one of which is conventionally wired, and the other is WLL. Having established that I should be able to get an upgrade to ISDN, I would ideally replace both these lines with ISDN BRA, which would give me the same two lines, plus the possibility of up to eight phone numbers, etc etc.

The problem I have is that the wired line is a phone number I have extensively advertised as a business contact number, and the WLL is a line I use as the "home" number, as well as for Internet access -- what are the chances of being able to keep both existing numbers once upgraded?

SkepticOne

I'm not an expert here but I can't see any problem with transferring the business number to the WLL service except for Eircom's attitude. First step is establishing that you can get ISDN standard services over the WLL. Deal with the numbering later. I would make some preliminary enquiries with ComReg with regard to what Eircom are obliged to do. Muck will have advice on how to go getting what you are entitled to from Eircom wrt registered letters etc.

I'm also very keen to see if services beyond basic rate ISDN are available. The equipment is capable broadband so why can't you get that?

spongebob

If both number come from the same exchange then there is no problem. EG 091 is Galway 0915 is west of the Corrib 091 7 is east of the Corrib

If you move your business west you cannot take an 0917 number with you.....unless you go to another carrier with the number (portability)

In that case you must

a) Take a new 091 5 number...make sure that directory enquiries have it from the word go as your permanent business number...there is an 1800 number for the Eircom Listings Department which happens to be in Galway and are very helpful people.

b) Get permanent call forwarding in the 091 7 exchange on the 091 7 number (the line henceforth terminates in the exchange but you pay the normal €16+Vat for it) ...but you dont want the 091 7 number to be listed anymore.

c) Pay for calls to be forwarded to the 0915 number as they come in....local call rates. In teh first month you make a point of telling all inbound callers your new number

In time, 1 year or so, you drop the 091 7 number because the traffic has dropped to nothing..... its the only way to maintain business continuity. Hint, my yellow pages here in the house are the 2000 ones.....'

Your numbers may all come from the same exchange and may therefore be transferrable , the 'same exchange is determined by

(excluding the STD code)

1st 3 numbers if a 7 digit number
1st 2 or 3 if a 6 digit number
1st 2 if a 5 digit number

The USO designates Eircom as the maintainer of the Primary Directory Enquiries database so all Directory enquiry systems in Ireland and abroad take their data from the Eircom Listing Department as it happens.

M

oscarBravo

Originally posted by SkepticOne
Muck will have advice on how to go getting what you are entitled to from Eircom wrt registered letters etc.

Yeah, I'm nominating Muck for a medal for services rendered!

I'm also very keen to see if services beyond basic rate ISDN are available. The equipment is capable broadband so why can't you get that?

Good question. For now I'll settle for ISDN. I'm not prepared to pay current rates for I-Stream, maybe when prices fall I'll start to make an issue out of it.

That said, it raises another question: there's a fair bit of interest around here in sharing a broadband connection among 10 or so houses using 802.11. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to get a 2Mb leased line over WLL, is there? Must look into it.

oscarBravo

Originally posted by Muck
If both number come from the same exchange then there is no problem.

[...]

Your numbers may all come from the same exchange and may therefore be transferrable , the 'same exchange is determined by

(excluding the STD code)

1st 3 numbers if a 7 digit number
1st 2 or 3 if a 6 digit number
1st 2 if a 5 digit number

So I'm cool: both numbers are (094)58xxx.

spongebob

Comreg have JUST retated the terms of Eircoms FWA Narrowband licence...as in Today I think

Here 02/19 is a link. The net effect of the change in the licence is as follows.

Eircom MUST supply ALL the SAME services as in the Wired Network over WLL,

Its on Page 6 in black and white for you Oscarbravo ........So that clearly means that ISDN is available over WLL from Eircom.

The services available over Wireless are

ISDN, POTS , 128k leased symmetric and ......wait for it

ADSl Type Services at 384k

Page 10 is a deBiddyfication clause. Eircom must supply the same "level of customer service" as they would a fixed line customer. If your get any crap from Biddy then this is a further schtick to bate them with over at Comreg.

The coverage targets are set with reference to a Designated Commencement Date, I believe that this is still the 16/06/00 so Eircom are now 30 Months into this licence.

The original licence was issued on the 16/06/00 and This Doc Here 02/18explains what has changed now, 30 months later

Here is the menu

Proposed Part I, Second Schedule to Part 5 of eircom Ltd’s General Telecommunications Licence (FWPMA Narrowband)

· Voice -All the same services as in the wired access network including:
· PSTN:
Customer lines, Domestic PSTN, IDD
· Data:
· ISDN Basic Rate
· Leased Lines (64 kbps, 128kbps from launch, and asymmetric 384 kbps within 11 months from the Designated Commencement Date)
· Flexible Bandwidth
· X25
· Frame Relay (128 kbps from launch, and 384 kbps within 11 months from the Designated Commencement Date)
· IP Packet Services (speeds of 2Mbps within 28 months of the Designated Commencement Date)

good luck with Biddy on monday morning make sure you get her full name (and section details) for the Comreg complaint if she is unaware of her equitable customer services obligation, one cannot let the Biddies carry on being ignorant any longer.

M

SkepticOne

Originally posted by Muck
Comreg have JUST retated the terms of Eircoms FWA Narrowband licence...as in Today I think

Here 02/19 is a link. The net effect of the change in the licence is as follows.

Was put up yesterday as it happens. Interesting to note the fines on pages 14 and 15.

The coverage targets are set with reference to a Designated Commencement Date, I believe that this is still the 16/06/00 so Eircom are now 30 Months into this licence.

Is this not the licence here: http://www.comreg.ie/docs/odtr9940.doc, dating back to 1999?

spongebob

No

The 1999 licences were the FWPMA Broadband licences which were reviewed in October/December 2002 . The 2000 Licences were the FWPMA Narrowband Licences which are currently being reviewed. These licences are what should be taken off Chorus any day now, keep writing those letters to Wille Fagan people:D

Eircoms potted history including their current licencing conditions going forward for the next 7 years or so are detailed below.

Document 02/90R Shows Eircoms Current Licence Conditions for FWPMA Broadband
Document 02/121 Explains the modifications made to these in 2002
Document 03/19 Shows Eircoms Current Licence Conditions for FWPMA Narrowband
Document 03/18 Explains the modifications made to them in 2003

Remember that Narrowband in these licences goes up to 2 Megabits so please don't get sniffy and ignore it .....2Mbit is the absolute dogs in this forsaken island.

Finally, see this quote from Comreg in Document 03/18 page 6. It bodes well for the USO coming up shortly. Comreg issued a licence with certain technological requirements and decided after Slightly under three years that the technology had moved on and that Eircom would not have to supply this service (Centrex) which is how they do big multisite organisations in Dublin like the Corpo Aer Lingus and UCD (01 70nn numbers are Centrex ). Slightly under three years is a lot less than the lifetime of the USO we are still wheezing at thee days.........

The reasons for these proposed changes are as follows: The Centrex service is a service whereby the PABX function is provided by the telecommunications operator at its switch. Technological developments have overtaken this service and it is no longer provided by eircom.

Technological developments have now overtaken the pairgain/line splitter in somewhere between 20% and 35% of Ireland by Land Area. They can supply WLL now.

Is there a map of these FWPMA Antennae anywhere ? It should be on the Cell Locator thingy shouldnt it ? Why should a mobile operator have to contribute to a map of 1.8Ghz devices while Eircom can stick up a 2.3Ghz device and not tell ANYBODY , least of all some poor gobsh1te that they fob off with a pairgain when Eircom could supply WLL from a mast that the poor gobsh1te has LOS to.....if they could check where the masts were. Eircom conceded to Comreg in 03/18 that their existing masts have a Longer range than was agreed less than three years ago thanks no doubt to

Technological Developments

as the report said.

These are the coverage requirements at end Years 1 and 5, we are now nearing the end of Year 3

Coverage

End year 1 5
Geographical Coverage 19% 35%
Population Coverage 25% 70%

Cool ........... now which 20% (possibly as high as 35%) of Ireland should not have pairgains and other line crap because there is an alternative and has been for years.

MAP PLEASE NOW !!!!!

M

oscarBravo

Originally posted by Muck
[...]Is there a map of these FWPMA Antennae anywhere ? It should be on the Cell Locator thingy shouldnt it ? Why should a mobile operator have to contribute to a map of 1.8Ghz devices while Eircom can stick up a 2.3Ghz device and not tell ANYBODY , least of all some poor gobsh1te that they fob off with a pairgain when Eircom could supply WLL from a mast that the poor gobsh1te has LOS to.....if they could check where the masts were.

FWIW, if anyone's in the Ballina area, and you can see the big mast in town (y'know, the huge one behind the train station), you have LOS for WLL. You don't need the LOS from ground level, just from any wall where the dish can be mounted. Watch out for trees in the way.

zynaps

Originally posted by Muck
· IP Packet Services (speeds of 2Mbps within 28 months of the Designated Commencement Date)

What exactly is the difference between "frame relay" services at 128kbps or asymmetric 384kbps, and and "ip packet" services, at 2mbps?

Is the frame relay thing for something other than internet connectivity?
Are they both services that users can ask for?

oscarBravo

ISDN order placed today. Be interesting to see where this goes...

SkepticOne

Originally posted by oscarBravo
ISDN order placed today. Be interesting to see where this goes...

Did you get a lead time? Also, what "high speed internet" options are available?

spongebob

Originally posted by oscarBravo
ISDN order placed today. Be interesting to see where this goes...

placed as per PM ?

crawler

Yellum Post
"Your username is so apt CRAWLER "


Yep , I have to agree with you there.....but I will be changing it later on

By the way - have been busy - amazed to see that this post has received so much interest.

By the way MMDS is not OFDM which works more like (W)CDMA. This is more a mobile type network which is what this NLOS kit uses - be interesting to see how the licence agreements apply to this...I suppose it depends on how this is all deployed.....

oscarBravo

Originally posted by Muck
placed as per PM ?

No. I know where you're going with that (I like the way your mind works ), but I'm playing it straight for now. I'm expecting to be contacted by an engineer and told -- again -- that it can't be done. If that happens, I'll start screaming at ComReg. It's almost more fun this way.

oscarBravo

I'm a flippin' prophet, is what I am.

Got a call this morning from the engineer, arranging to call over the next couple of days to do the install. He explained that they would upgrade the wired line to HiSpeed and decomission the FWA line.

I told him that from past experience there is no way the copper is going to support ISDN, and that it would have to be provisioned over FWA. He said he didn't think that was possible. I told him that according to Eircom's FWA license they are obliged to provide it. He said he'd check into it and call me back.

I'm expecting a call shortly to tell me no, it can't be done. At that point I'll write to Eircom's Regulatory Affairs bod (what's his name again?) with a cc: to ComReg.

dahamsta

Originally posted by Muck
If you county does not have a Broadband Wireless service from Chorus (only Clare and Limerick do but try getting them to install it) then do as follows

Write to (snip)

---

Mr Wille Fagan
Regulatory Affairs Director
Chorus
Roxborough Road
Limerick

Completely forgot to post this: I fired one of these letters off way back when and got a phone call in the middle of February which didn't really answer the question, so they said they'd get back to me. At the end of February I got the letter below back. I get the impression that this doesn't answer the question, nor does it prove that Chorus are fulfilling their obligations, is this correct?



By the way, isn't it sweet the way they signed it "Chorus Communications"? I didn't even know there was a Mr. Communications, never mind his first name being Chorus! I guess accountability is something they haven't heard of in Chorus.

Ta,
adam

Dustaz

Originally posted by dahamsta
I didn't even know there was a Mr. Communications, never mind his first name being Chorus!

Oh come on, you must know that. His daughter Miss Communications is in charge of their PR.

dahamsta

Oh come on, you must know that. His daughter Miss Communications is in charge of their PR.

Oh, that's right. And her friends Miss Direction, Miss Anthropy and Miss Appropriate work in Eircom PR, Repairs and Management, respectively.

(Good catch btw. I didn't even come close to spotting it.)

adam