What do you make of Eamon Ryan's latest broadband paper?

[thebrom]

1. Government will target capital investment of €435m to address the digital divide

KK - key word here is target, out of the total sum of €435m to be spent on capital investment they will target some of that to address the digital divide. Others have noted this €435m comes from the NDP and is not specifically allocated to broadband alone and some of it has been spent already.

2. Universal broadband coverage in Ireland by late 2009 / early 2010

Broadband delivered by what means and define the speed of broadband? You could get something that would met current definitions of broadband by satellite at present, does that means we've already met this target? Fact is we should prioritise rollout to urban areas as part of because good planning practice, people forget that electrification took nearly 50 years to complete and telephony took longer. Demanding broadband everywhere for everyone right now is stupid and misses the point that many people in built up areas still can't get it so how could it be practical to be servicing places further out.

3. 100 Mbits per second broadband connectivity to be introduced to secondary schools on a phased basis

How long are the phases to be? And note this is 100 Mbits per second to a school, imagine how many pipes internally are going to be running off that and what the capacity per class/machine will be.

4. Future investment will be determined in accordance with value for money review of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)

We're only going to be "value for money review of the Metropolitan Area Networks" now? Did we build because they were pretty?

5. Ensure Ireland’s continued high level of international connectivity

The presumption in this is that Ireland currently has a high level of international connectivity and that the state provided it.

6. Major public infrastructure projects will have to install ducting at the construction phase. Government will establish a one stop shop to provide service providers with flexible and open access to existing and future ducting infrastructure

Would be a lot more interesting and useful if it required that all new industrial, commercial, and residential developments have to provide ducting to the door/office as part of the granting of planning permission. Is it the public sector infrastructure that is really the bottleneck here?

7. New premises will be required to install open access fibre connections where practicable

"where practicable" who makes that call?

8. Maintenance of the regulatory framework necessary for fair and transparent competition across a range of platforms. Allocation of spectrum to encourage trialling and development of flexible new mobile technologies

Key word "Maintenance", comreg aren't they doing a grand job and everything is just fine.

9. Use of Government purchasing power in order to stimulate demand, create economies of scale and better public services

Is the government going to buy something and resell it?

10. Establishment of a specialised research programme to monitor developments

Good idea it seems on the surface but why monitor if there is nothing in place to take actions if developments aren't panning out as intended. Are we going to see reports that say, "it's all gone to hell, so let's twiddle our thumbs shall we?"

You can get an alternate viewpoint here
http://www.mulley.net/2008/07/03/minist ... d-promises

The fact is there has been practically no movement on broadband during the previous two Fianna Fail communications ministries. We are seeing rapid change at the minute. Just this year UPC (NTL-Chorus) has upgraded their top broadband speed from 6mb to 12mb to 20mb for just 40 quid!
-Huge investment is already being put into MANs and although I would expect cynicism from an opposition activist, I still find it disappointing.

[joel]

It's the standard load of bluster, spoofery, empty rhetoric, re-heated old broken promises and lies.

South Korea and Singapore are almost finished rolling out 100 Mbps fibre to every house in the country. That's the current world benchmark, the target to aim for....but of course if we start aiming for that now, by the time we deliver it it will be seen as slow and antiquated.

Ireland needs to be at the bleeding edge of broadband rollout if our economy is to have any hope of surviving, not starting 6 miles back from the starting line of a 100 yard sprint wearing a blindfold with a broken ankle!

Our political class and civil service just don't understand technology.

Er, South Korea has made itself one of the foremost technological economies in the world through state-direction - Ireland sold off its telecoms!

[KingKane]

1. Government will target capital investment of €435m to address the digital divide

KK - key word here is target, out of the total sum of €435m to be spent on capital investment they will target some of that to address the digital divide. Others have noted this €435m comes from the NDP and is not specifically allocated to broadband alone and some of it has been spent already.

2. Universal broadband coverage in Ireland by late 2009 / early 2010

Broadband delivered by what means and define the speed of broadband? You could get something that would met current definitions of broadband by satellite at present, does that means we've already met this target? Fact is we should prioritise rollout to urban areas as part of because good planning practice, people forget that electrification took nearly 50 years to complete and telephony took longer. Demanding broadband everywhere for everyone right now is stupid and misses the point that many people in built up areas still can't get it so how could it be practical to be servicing places further out.

3. 100 Mbits per second broadband connectivity to be introduced to secondary schools on a phased basis

How long are the phases to be? And note this is 100 Mbits per second to a school, imagine how many pipes internally are going to be running off that and what the capacity per class/machine will be.

4. Future investment will be determined in accordance with value for money review of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs)

We're only going to be "value for money review of the Metropolitan Area Networks" now? Did we build because they were pretty?

5. Ensure Ireland’s continued high level of international connectivity

The presumption in this is that Ireland currently has a high level of international connectivity and that the state provided it.

6. Major public infrastructure projects will have to install ducting at the construction phase. Government will establish a one stop shop to provide service providers with flexible and open access to existing and future ducting infrastructure

Would be a lot more interesting and useful if it required that all new industrial, commercial, and residential developments have to provide ducting to the door/office as part of the granting of planning permission. Is it the public sector infrastructure that is really the bottleneck here?

7. New premises will be required to install open access fibre connections where practicable

"where practicable" who makes that call?

8. Maintenance of the regulatory framework necessary for fair and transparent competition across a range of platforms. Allocation of spectrum to encourage trialling and development of flexible new mobile technologies

Key word "Maintenance", comreg aren't they doing a grand job and everything is just fine.

9. Use of Government purchasing power in order to stimulate demand, create economies of scale and better public services

Is the government going to buy something and resell it?

10. Establishment of a specialised research programme to monitor developments

Good idea it seems on the surface but why monitor if there is nothing in place to take actions if developments aren't panning out as intended. Are we going to see reports that say, "it's all gone to hell, so let's twiddle our thumbs shall we?"

You can get an alternate viewpoint here
http://www.mulley.net/2008/07/03/minist ... d-promises

The fact is there has been practically no movement on broadband during the previous two Fianna Fail communications ministries. We are seeing rapid change at the minute. Just this year UPC (NTL-Chorus) has upgraded their top broadband speed from 6mb to 12mb to 20mb for just 40 quid!
-Huge investment is already being put into MANs and although I would expect cynicism from an opposition activist, I still find it disappointing.

Huh? wha? Practically no movement under the FF comm ministers but then with your next breath you're claiming credit for the MANs? where they done in the last year? Make up your mind. Digiweb upgraded my package from 3 to 6Megs in the last month, that's fine for me but feck all good for those who still don't have any broadband access at all in urban areas. We started late and are moving slower than our competitors.

[KingKane]

It's the standard load of bluster, spoofery, empty rhetoric, re-heated old broken promises and lies.

South Korea and Singapore are almost finished rolling out 100 Mbps fibre to every house in the country. That's the current world benchmark, the target to aim for....but of course if we start aiming for that now, by the time we deliver it it will be seen as slow and antiquated.

Ireland needs to be at the bleeding edge of broadband rollout if our economy is to have any hope of surviving, not starting 6 miles back from the starting line of a 100 yard sprint wearing a blindfold with a broken ankle!

Our political class and civil service just don't understand technology.

Er, South Korea has made itself one of the foremost technological economies in the world through state-direction - Ireland sold off its telecoms!

That and having a military government for a good period.

[cyberianpan]

detailed analysis

The fact is there has been practically no movement on broadband during the previous two Fianna Fail communications ministries. We are seeing rapid change at the minute. Just this year UPC (NTL-Chorus) has upgraded their top broadband speed from 6mb to 12mb to 20mb for just 40 quid!
-Huge investment is already being put into MANs and although I would expect cynicism from an opposition activist, I still find it disappointing.

KK did detailed critique of the report above, you haven't addressed any of his points - instead you're choosing to point out he is an "opposition activist". The UPC activity bears no relation to the recommendations of the report/discussion document. The report is a flimsy, peculiar document - as I pointed out the Irish Times discovered there are few if any civil servants working in the relevant communications sections. Also many industry insiders are skeptical of Eamon Ryan's commitment.

cYp

[goosebump]

The State should just forget about trying to provide broadband and introduce massive private sector subsidies/incentives instead.

Everything that this and other Governments have tried to do in the telecommunications/IT area smacks of someone who has difficulty switching on a Playstation.

[joel]

It's the standard load of bluster, spoofery, empty rhetoric, re-heated old broken promises and lies.

South Korea and Singapore are almost finished rolling out 100 Mbps fibre to every house in the country. That's the current world benchmark, the target to aim for....but of course if we start aiming for that now, by the time we deliver it it will be seen as slow and antiquated.

Ireland needs to be at the bleeding edge of broadband rollout if our economy is to have any hope of surviving, not starting 6 miles back from the starting line of a 100 yard sprint wearing a blindfold with a broken ankle!

Our political class and civil service just don't understand technology.

Er, South Korea has made itself one of the foremost technological economies in the world through state-direction - Ireland sold off its telecoms!

That and having a military government for a good period.

What has that to do with the point I was making?

[KingKane]

Also, since when am I "an activist" makes me sound all socialist or such like.

[KingKane]

It's the standard load of bluster, spoofery, empty rhetoric, re-heated old broken promises and lies.

South Korea and Singapore are almost finished rolling out 100 Mbps fibre to every house in the country. That's the current world benchmark, the target to aim for....but of course if we start aiming for that now, by the time we deliver it it will be seen as slow and antiquated.

Ireland needs to be at the bleeding edge of broadband rollout if our economy is to have any hope of surviving, not starting 6 miles back from the starting line of a 100 yard sprint wearing a blindfold with a broken ankle!

Our political class and civil service just don't understand technology.

Er, South Korea has made itself one of the foremost technological economies in the world through state-direction - Ireland sold off its telecoms!

That and having a military government for a good period.

What has that to do with the point I was making?

Not a lot but it was intended as a semi humorous retort, I was also going to suggest a link with them having fine looking women over there but ye know my weaknesses at this stage.

[joel]

It's the standard load of bluster, spoofery, empty rhetoric, re-heated old broken promises and lies.

South Korea and Singapore are almost finished rolling out 100 Mbps fibre to every house in the country. That's the current world benchmark, the target to aim for....but of course if we start aiming for that now, by the time we deliver it it will be seen as slow and antiquated.

Ireland needs to be at the bleeding edge of broadband rollout if our economy is to have any hope of surviving, not starting 6 miles back from the starting line of a 100 yard sprint wearing a blindfold with a broken ankle!

Our political class and civil service just don't understand technology.

Er, South Korea has made itself one of the foremost technological economies in the world through state-direction - Ireland sold off its telecoms!

That and having a military government for a good period.

What has that to do with the point I was making?

Not a lot but it was intended as a semi humorous retort, I was also going to suggest a link with them having fine looking women over there but ye know my weaknesses at this stage.

Well, why don't you address how state-direction has put Korea to the forefront - embarassing?