ThePost::CIB: Cover Story: Are they delivering on IT?...?

corkie

Todays issue of Computers In Business has the following stories and content:

The Chief Juggler
An interview with `information society' minister Mary Hanafin about the government's record on IT issues after its first year in office.

All the things they promised
A progress report of all the things the goverment promised back in june 2002.


Ahern tells telecoms : get a move on



I hope this is the right forum for this post.

Regular members or readers of the IrelandOffline forum would be well aware of the topics covered in the above. These stories may also be old news as Sunday papers are usualy repulished stories from the last week.

Note: that is first time that the poll feature worked for me,
sorry if not a good poll?

Direct links now provided above due to the ugly adframe added to mysite

SkepticOne

I think its important to post newspaper stories here. A link plus quotes from the relevant portions of the articles is good. I also like to see commentary from the poster about its significance.

corkie

All the things they promised: Sumary and Comments

BroadBand
Promise: June 2002: "We will ensure the putting in place of open access broadband on a national level".
Progress: Eircom and Esat BT will be allowed acess to 'public' networks to deliver broadband in 19 towns see http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie for the towns. Cost of EUR65M due for completion by 2005.
'Dark Firbre': Lying dormant: Goverment conceded that it is a write-off.

Minster Involved/Task: Dermot Ahern ---- Grade B+ for his work.


Unbundling the local loop.
Promise: June 2002:"We will create real competion for local phone services by ensuring the un-bundling of the local loop"
Progress: Has been unbundled, DSL is here, but 'local phone' service are strugling to win business.It led to the introducion of fixed line DSL but only available in small minority of locations.
40% DSL applications fail because lines aren't suitable.
Minster Involved/Task: Dermot Ahern ---- Grade C for his work.

Comment in media from Sean Hayden, Chief executive Minute Buyer:
"The biggest problem for local independent companies is inertia in people not being enticed away from Eircom"

My response to this:
The cause of the inertia would be due to some of the following:

Single billing not available ---- Should be out before the end of the summer.

Previous Switch: Companies when out of business cause they couldn't afford the high interconnect cost provide by eircom.

Other Companies Pass record: for example how Esat BT treated 2000 plus SNL customers. ( Myself include here -- but as I have said before we where been used as pawns in a battle of the telco's --- Caused the creation of http://www.irelandoffline.org )

IT Education Policy
Promise: "We will drive forward the Schools IT Programme .........."
Progress: Nothing new happened in the last 12 months. Microsoft playing hardball with software licences.
My comment: Schools should look toward open source software. i.e. Linux etc.
Dermort Ahern, recently suggested imposing a 'levy' on telcos to fund a new wave of broadband into schools.


Ireland ranks
third from bottom
in the EU for computers
and IT in the classroom.
(Source: EU statistics, 2002)


Note: Insert this here because I wouldn't force anyone to look at a lycos hosted site right now.

MDR

This is the correct forum for newspaper links etc, I encourage you and everyone else this post up FYI's about stories you have come across in the national media, it helps the committee out quite a bit, ensures we don't miss anything .... many thanks

Eurorunner

I've just read through it. I think these articles are important in building the pressure that is necessary to force those in a position to act ie. government, comreg, €ircon - to do so.

Have to say that i'm a little bit disappointed with their coverage of 'braodband' & 'braodband in rural areas'. I think performance on the above was painted in a far too positive light.

Whilst everyone here knows of the sham that is internet access in Ireland, i dont think your average Joe is fully aware of how he's being given a raw deal.

Paddy20

Eurorunner,

Your comments are spot on!

Paddy20;)