The Future for IrelandOFFLine

p

Hi,

Just curious what the future for IOL is?

I don't read this forum too regularly so apologies if it's been brought up already. Just point me to the relevant thread.

It looks like IOL's initial goals will be achieved in the next few months, so what happenes then.

One suggestion, either for IOL or some sort of offshoot of it would be for some kind of digital rights lobbying group. I don't know of one in Ireland. Lobbying for things like fair use within the EUCD(eu's version of the DMCA) and things like that.

Thoughts?

- Kevin

Boston

well for starters when all goals are achieved there will be one hell of a party, which i've been looking forward to for awhile now. goals chnage, an internet lobby group will always be need, in 10 years time we will all want 5mb connection, hell i want them now, so who is going to force the issue

Capt'n Midnight

Re in 10 years time we will all want 5mb connection
"in Tokyo there are people standing at the exit to train and subway stations handing out paper carrier bags to anyone who will take them (free) containing a DSL modem, Software etc.. And 3 months free DSL. The cost is then 25 Euro per month for an 8MBit connection into your house.Most don't even ask you to sign anything, you just call a number when you are ready and they pop around to enable your DSL line."

So even if the Telco's drop the price of their most expensive SOHO DSL product to a quarter of what their cheapest entry level product was last month, we'd still be years behind...

Affordable - many people can afford cars & insurance - does that make them affordable somehow ?

It would be interesting to work out how much extra you'd have to earn per year just to pay for a car and an unmetered broadband connection.....

Dangger

A party at the end of June would be nice. We are looking into organising a get together and should have some definte dates soon. IOFFL has a lot to decide on its future and where it goes from here and our current situation.

Boston

I missed the last get together because of study and the fact i think it was in cork, but i definitly make it to one at the end of june

echomadman

It looks like IOL's initial goals will be achieved in the next few months, so what happenes then

Looks like, lets not count our chickens......

shinzon

Id like to see irelandoffline change tact completely, broadband will come down in price as everything does well just have to wait for that, but what id like to see tackled next is the issue of sub broadband standard copper wiring that seems to be the root cause of the failure of Braodband Line tests

The way i see it is theres no point in having Low Cost broadband if the vast majority cant get it, its like having the glass half full

my 2 cents

Shin

Piliger

Originally posted by echomadman
Looks like, lets not count our chickens......

I find this an amazing statement.

There is no affordable flat rate internet access across Ireland and we're not even close.

If you say that DSL is flat rate then fine - but it'll be a LONG time before it becomes affordable for the vast majority of Irish people.

Flat rate dial up is still a dream and THAT is what will drive the growth and price reduction of DSL MAKE NO MISTAKE !

It seems to me that although great things have been achived - IOFFL's goal is FAR FAR FAR from being achieved.

dahamsta

Originally posted by Dangger
A party at the end of June would be nice. We are looking into organising a get together and should have some definte dates soon. IOFFL has a lot to decide on its future and where it goes from here and our current situation.

Yaaay! Party!!! Et cetera!

adam

dahamsta

I actually wasn't being sarcastic there. Really, I wasn't.

Paddy20

Clearly, Ireland OFFline is developing and changing in line with the SLOWLY improving Internet access services climate.

It is now much more than simply a pressure or lobbying group.
Its current activities and achievements indicate that it is becoming *Irelands most important - Independent voluntary Internet users - **Watchdog, while still establishingits credibility and earning the respect of the Media, the general public, the Government and most importantly - The Internet Service Providers themselves. No mean achievement in this land of corruption and everlasting intrigue.

As far as I can see. Its Voluntary Committee and Chairman have a vitally important ISP industry WATCHDOG future ahead which hopefully will ultimately result in every type of Internet access services consumer receiving a wide choice of fairly priced Internet access packages and the RIP-OFF days will be replaced by an equitable open democratic ISP provider competitive marketplace.

The Citizens and economic infrastructure of Ireland will need Ireland OFFline now and in the future. Its influence on the ISPs and the Government quangos should NOT be underestimated by anyone?.

Thats my 2cs worth. For now.

Paddy20,;)

MDR

As long as there is telecoms IOFFL will always have a function,
Govt. Depts will always need a non-profit driven consumer centric organisation to let them know what the best thing for the average citizen. The days of Govt. soley pandering to industry because of consumer apathey are gone.

We are the consumers and we sure as hell aren't apathetic. Hey Esat I want my €2.25 back (Esat where given €9 million of their €27 million broadband rollout, I can see how that €9 million capital expenditure benefited us at all), but no wait its get better Eircom wants to sell a precentage of your future average phone to raise captial to pay off some of the 2 billion it owes, leaving no future income to service the already crumbling network, so they ask COMREG for a price hike, and don't get me started about FWA licenses, nor Government MAN or WAN or LAN or FAN or QUAKE fu*king CLANS, nor the unlit western digial corridor, nor N.T.HELL and broken promises, nor USO consultation .........................

no future for IOFFL are you nuts, it may not be me or Dave or Chris or James running the show, but there will always lots of work for somebody willing to do.