Spent 45 minutes with Eamon Ryan in his office yesterday (interview to appear in Sunday's paper). He said the state was committed to "ubiquitous" broadband, even if it had to be permanently subsidised. He said a few other interesting things, including thoughts on "leapfrogging" certain unscheduled towns and areas into phase 2 of the MANs.
"While the majority of [Irish] businesses have a broadband connection, 68% of businesses do not think that they operate applications which specifically require a broadband connection."
(Chambers Ireland survey of 611 businesses, July 2007)
Isn't it time to admit that the majority of us are too unsophisticated to 'get' broadband?
I spoke for a while yeterday to John McKeown, who has set up a wireless broadband service in Valentia called Skellig Broadband. They offer 1Mbs connections (512k up) for €36 per month plus €300 in set-up installation costs. He said they can't really make money out of it but hope to expand the service into a ring from Dingle all the way down to the Beara Peninsula (Castletownbere).
Sorry to harp on about this, but I wonder whether this broadband map -- from a government website -- is accurate? It shows areas already covered by broadband and 'imminent' coverage (as of May, 2007). Look at Donegal! According to Eircom, by the way, about 82 per cent of phone lines in the country are now broadband enabled.
-- According to an ongoing survey on its site. Interesting that the sample is nice and large: 302 people and counting. And it's also interesting that this is usually a forum for hotheaded dissent on broadband availability. I'm really beginning to think that the whole 'broadband availability' theme is a little overdone...
Okay, here's a question: are there any Irish companies that cannot get access to broadband? Or even punters? Please leave a comment, saying where you're located...
In its latest State Of The Net publication, Amas has produced a handy reminder as to the lack of takeup of broadband -- for various reasons -- in Ireland.
It reminds us that the 2006 Census survey showed about 20 per cent of Irish households opting for broadband. Yet 63 per cent of households chose digital TV. I wonder why?
The truth is that there is a lot of huffing and puffing over the "lack" of broadband availability in Ireland. I would estimate that at least 80 per cent of households in Ireland can get some form of broadband of at least 1Mbs. (It goes up to 100 per cent if you consider satellite, though this is still very dear.) And yet just 20 per cent take it up?
Come off it, lads -- admit that three quarters of the population can't be arsed with getting broadband into their homes...
The new Minister for Communications used to think that state-funded metropolitan area networks were a flop and a "spectacular waste of public money". So now that he's the Minister responsible for this €200 million investment, where does that leave E-Net, the company that runs these 'money-wasting' projects?
Unperturbed, according to Conal Henry, E-Net's chief executive (pictured). "I think the Minister may have changed his thinking a bit on this," he told me. "He's well qualified to look at the situation sensibly." Is Minister Ryan just being pragmatic or has he genuinely changed his mind on these issues?
O2 has followed Vodafone and 3 Ireland in launching a HSDPA broadband service. It is the most expensive service of the three, at €40 per month (unless you buy other O2 services too). Here's the press release they put out today:
"O2 Broadband, through a wireless USB modem, will enable up to 10GB of data to be downloaded as standard per month, with no additional charges for occasional usage in excess of this. O2 is the first mobile provider in Ireland not to automatically charge customers if they exceed the 10GB usage limit, subject to fair usage policy.
The service will initially be available for a three month introductory price of €15 per month for those with an existing O2 post-pay voice connection or for new post-pay customers taking a voice connection (Post-pay Price Plan Active Live 150 or above). It will be €20 for all other customers. Following the three month promotional period, the monthly cost is €30 (with voice connection -- Post-pay Price Plan Active Live 150 or above). For all other customers the cost is €40 per month. The USB modem will be priced from €69 (all prices quoted are inclusive of VAT)."
UPC (NTL, Chorus) and Digiweb star in the latest round of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland. Digiweb was rapped twice for its fairly misleading ads claiming phone rental and broadband for €20 per month with "no gimmicks" (the gimmick turned out to be a €90 installation fee, limited availability and a flexible definition of the term "phone line rental").
NTL boasted that its "first three months subscription" were "free". Except not on its Value Broadband range, which the ASAI took exception to. It was also advertising a free three month broadband package in Waterford after the offer had expired.
Other companies listed included Magnet (for the Kathryn Thomas parody in its ads), IFA Telecom (for representing that its service was available in every rural location, which it isn't) and Chorus (for alleging that its competition didn't carry several channels that it did).
Meanwhile, Dell has fallen foul of the British Advertising Standards Authority for not pointing out in its ads that connection cables don't come with its printers. (Picture courtesy of Showbiz Ireland.)
