End of year roundtable discussion on the Last Word show on TodayFM this evening at 1730. On it will be Rex Combs, CEO of eircom, John Doherty, ComReg Commissioner, Fran Rooney from Ice Broadband and Damien Mulley from IrelandOffline.
I strongly suggest listening in if you want decent broadband or any kind of brodaband. If you want to make a comment then email: lastword@todayfm.com or text in using the shortcode: 53102 (Normal text rates apply)
Meh. The provider representatives all sounded a little chummy for my liking. Doesn’t sound like competition to me.
Just listened too it.
Disappointing to say the least….
E.
Fran Rooney was a total lick arse. The whole thing was like a sales pitch and I was not impressed with the questions I was asked. One on ones are much more fun.
Agreed, why don’t we get some parties together for a really frank discussion and release it as a podcast?
E.
FYI, below are the questions I emailed to the show long before it started. Off course none of these were asked..
– Why all the talk about Local Loop Unbundling when this makes no real business sense?
– What is ComReg doing to stimulate the establishment of an alternative telecoms infrastructure?
– Can ComReg explain the strange licensing structure the WiFi & Wimax frequencies that will only lead to interference between networks?
– What is causing the delay in the MAN rollout as supported by the EU (http://muniwireless.com/municipal/watch/1091).
– What has happened to all the funding allocated to the Group Broadband schemes that was never spent?
– On that note what is happening to ensure that the established GBS’s are achieving their targets?
E.
Can you get this as a podcast missed it?
Here is the link to the 5-6 slot of the show. The panel was far too big for an effective discussion in the time alloted.
Damien Blake uploaded the audio of it: http://www.box.net/lite/code/gkaddsglui
I feature for a few seconds at most.
Evert, leaving a Wimax URL in his wake, a-t-il dit: “Why all the talk about Local Loop Unbundling when this makes no real business sense?”
A foolish and self-serving premise.
Price competition happens when you and I have multiple options when choosing who to buy broadband from. That you personally want to offer me one option in ill-served locations is great for you because you can charge as much as you want. I still want a choice because I want to pay you as little as possible.
Out here in the real world, where most of us who can get broadband can only get one type, and it’s DSL, LLU is the only way competition will ever happen.
Additionally, speaking as someone who moved into an apartment without telephone service… I needed to start working as soon as possible when I got here, and because there’s no loop competition regime in place, that means
a) That I was forced to go with Eircom because I needed a connection as fast as possible, and
b) I can’t switch without going offline for the better part of two months.
But that’s OK because apparently I’ll be able to use a currently-unavailable service which may or may not cover my area at a price yet to be determined at some time in the future yet to be determined? Gimme a break.
So, bluntly, fatuous rah-rahing from behind a Wi-Max vapourware URL does not give your rather dippy question any weight. K? K.
Evert says: “Can ComReg explain the strange licensing structure the WiFi & Wimax frequencies that will only lead to interference between networks?”
What do you mean by this?
John, you sound like a misguided clairvoyant or you have misread my question.
What I pointed out was that it does not make any sense for Eircom to unbundle the local loop. That’s from a pure commercial viewpoint. They will not increase their profit or revenue by doing so.
If you had actually read my other questions before getting on your soapbox you might have realised that I am all for LLU but just do not see it happenning. Hence ComReg should stimulate the establishement of an alternative telecoms infrastructure that will offer wholesale access so that all those ISP & service providers out there can ring you the services and choice that you so desperately want…
I will ignore the rest of your comments, accusations & insinuations as they are as unfounded as the rest of your comment…
E.
oscarBravo: What I mean is that ComReg apparently alocates frequency licenses ona regional instead of a national basis. This can cause interference between equipment from the same or a different operator. It would make much more sense if frequency licenses were allocated on a nationwide basis.
E.
Evert says: “What I mean is that ComReg apparently alocates frequency licenses ona regional instead of a national basis. This can cause interference between equipment from the same or a different operator. It would make much more sense if frequency licenses were allocated on a nationwide basis.”
Have you familiarised yourself with the terms of the FWALA licences? Did you respond to ComReg consultation 06/59, “FWALA Licence Flexibility”?
oscarBravo: I have not studied them in-depth as we have no operations in Ireland yet but as far as I can recall licenses are allocated on a regional basis.
Please correct me if i’m wrong…
E.
Evert: yes, licences are allocated on a regional basis. It seems strange to ask for an explanation of a licencing structure before becoming familiar with the structure yourself, and to claim that it will cause interference without understanding the steps that have been taken to mitigate interference between operators.
In fact, it is my view that the steps initially taken to prevent interference are draconian and over-restrictive, and I’ve proposed changes in a response to the recent consultation.
OscarBravo: I was under the presumption the presumption (or hope) that some steps had been taken to mitigate interference but was not fully au fait with them. Hnce I would appreciate Comreg to explain this to me. I’ve asked them to do so via email on several occasions without receiving a satisfactory reply. Isn’t providing information part of their portfolio?
Anyway, these comemnts are taking on a life of their own and rather than keep the discussion going here I wouldn’t mind talking about this iperson (be it via email or phone).
You seem to know the matter and I am always happy to listen to a different opinion. If you’re interested in this please drop me a line @ evert@wimax-eu.com
E.
Nobody cares whether it makes economic sense for Eircom, and your backtracking is unpersuasive. Eircom’s a monopoly, exerting a restraint on trade to the detriment of the consumer, and the law requires that be remedied by the regulator.
And Wimax is still vapourware.
John,
You are not reading what I am saying.
People have been shouting for LLU for years now and it still hasn’t happened.
What do you want to do? Continue demanding LLU with no results or actually find a workable solution to the ridiculous lack of broadband availability in this country?
It’s easy to agitate but it requires some effort to actually try and acomplish something positive. And, no I am not back-tracking, I am merely trying to point out that you mis-interpreted my question.
As for Wimax? Well if you actually looked further than the url and name of my company and put a bit of effort in trying to find out what we are actually setting out to do you will find out that your statements are rather rash.
If you are interested I am more than willing to talk to you about our plans and my views on the current (and future) broadband offerings in this country. Just contact me via email (evertATwimax-eu.com) and I will give you a call.
Merry Christmas!
E.