What we want.. what we really really want ..

LegacyUser

Further to all the marvellous efforts to date, the general picture is becoming a little clearer.

Clearly, all the telcos and ISPs are only going to operate on commercially viable i.e. profitable grounds. SNL came a cropper, and no one seems to be in a hurry to fill the gap. I'd be interested to know if the free ISPs are even making any money.

If the internet access we want in this country truely isn't economically viable (it probably is in some areas and not in others), the government is going to have to step in somewhere to force it or fund it.

The critical factor is always-on access. For everyone. The govt has to realise that we're not going to be an internet society until all the citizens can as easily receive email 24/7 as they can telephone calls.

We need to establish a basic demand like: everyone should be entitled to an always-on connection (be it modem, DSL, wireless, slow, fast, whatever) for a fixed AFFORDABLE monthly fee. 20 pounds a month is probably the upper limit of something that would have broad appeal.

dahamsta

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I'd be interested to know if the free ISPs are even making any money.</font>

Of course they are. Do you honestly think we'd still have so many of them if they weren't? It's not a very profitable business, but they're making a few quid out of it. The thing to remember though, is that a good portion of the money they do make - probably half - comes from their portals, from sponsorship and advertising. Now Eircom, they're probably doing pretty well out of it...

I agree with nearly everything else you say, but it's not going to be an overnight thing, it's going to take time, lots of time, and that of course assumes we can get the government to understand the benefits of getting the population online (as against big business, which is what they've been supporting thus far).

And given what hudson has been posting of late, it would take a hell of a lot of money with the current infrastructure, and/or a hell or a lot of money to develop a separate data infrastructure, and of course the government have no reason to support Eircom to do that any more - chicken and egg.

adam

LegacyUser

Hmm.. there's a title for the seminar: "Solving the Irish Internet Chicken and Egg problem"

The business situation pretty much looks after itself.. which is why ireland offline is really about the small user.

As was pointed out at the meeting, the standard of dial-up internet service in Ireland is set by the ISPs mostly owned by the telcos. Most of the public probably thinks that's what the internet is, as a result of this.

Doesn't really look like the DSL offerings are going to reach anything more than lucrative/competitive business areas unless the govt does something about it.

dahamsta

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">The business situation pretty much looks after itself..</font>

I feel the need to qualify that statement - it should read:

"The big business situation pretty much looks after itself."

Which is absolutely true, so forget about them. There are thousands upon thousands of SME's - businesses with 100 employees or less - in Ireland, the large majority of which have less than ten employees. Broadband, and more importantly always-on Internet access would be an absolute boon to a large percentage of these businesses, allowing them to respond to sales and support enquiries faster, manage aspects of their business from outside the office, retrieve information remotely, employ teleworkers, etc, etc. All of which would allow these companies to streamline, cut costs, boost productivity and ultimately become more profitable.

It was big business that helped Ireland become the Celtic Tiger and sustain our growing economy, but the Irish government really has to take their head out of their bottom and have a look around right now. Profit warnings abound, layoffs are getting more and more worrying, corporate expansion is over bar the select few that are too big to notice. Now is the time to support and promote growth in small business. The government have failed spectacularly to do that in the past five years - as I am only too qualified to testify - but it's not too late. Promoting, or better, forcing real competition in the telecommunications marketplace is an excellent way to kickstart that process.

Seriously, if there's any young, go-getter politicians or councillors out there reading this and looking for an angle, this is it, this is the way to get Ireland back on track and jump-start your career. Screw "e-taxis" and WAP and 3G and "eCommerce hubs" and all that rubbish, this is the way forward. Promote competition in the SME and consumer telecommunications markets and you'll get rapid growth in the SME sector and a hugely popular market in the consumer sector. Ireland will be targetted from abroad by forward thinking companies, and those companies will invest in Ireland. And the Celtic Tiger can get its second wind.

I'm tellin' ya, it really tough being someone with a small business and a second-level Economics qualification - and not a very good one at that - and being able to see it with such clarity, while everyone else stands arounds and picks their nose and watches it all fall down around our ankles. I should really get into politics. Course, when I can't even get to meetings with my mortal enemy, there's not much chance of that...

adam

Bard

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Fergus:
Hmm.. there's a title for the seminar: "Solving the Irish Internet Chicken and Egg problem"
</font>

A bit long, isn't it?

At the meeting last evening, Dave Long's mum suggested "Hot Topic". (Dave Long is "Dangger" here, btw...)... Does anyone else have suggestions for a name for the seminar?

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Niall...a.k.a.:

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Bard

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Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

dahamsta

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Does anyone else have suggestions for a name for the seminar?</font>

Uh, what's wrong with "Ireland Offline"? Says it all really.

adam

Bard

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by dahamsta:
Uh, what's wrong with "Ireland Offline"? Says it all really.

adam</font>

I think the idea was that it'd be "The IrelandOffline <something><something> Seminar"

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Bard

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Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.

LegacyUser

"There are thousands upon thousands of SME's - businesses with 100 employees or less - in Ireland, the large majority of which have less than ten employees.."

Absolutely.. me being one of them! Small business start in homes too.. can't afford flash offices in the city or the commute costs. And the small businesses are the worst hit cos they have to use these exhorbitently priced internet services.

dahamsta

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I think the idea was that it'd be "The IrelandOffline <something> <something> Seminar"</font>

Ah, now I getcha. How about "The Ireland Offline Going Postal On Eircom Seminar"?

adam

LegacyUser

Adam said: Uh, what's wrong with "Ireland Offline"? Says it all really.

I like it, with the question mark inside the quotation marks though:

"Ireland Offline?"

The implication of the message being, "is Ireland really online?