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IBEC keeps up the pressure for broadband 
Thursday, August 29 2002
by Ciaran Buckley


IBEC's Telecommunications User Group has again criticised the delay in bringing
broadband to the regions and called for lower charges to help stimulate demand.





In its annual policy statement, TUG said that the government and regulators
should put pressure on Eircom to accelerate its implementation of
competitively-priced DSL services throughout the country. Eircom's digital
subscriber line service provides high-speed Internet connections for a flat
monthly fee, but TUG wants to see rates of around EUR30 to EUR40 a month compared
to current charges of more than EUR107.



TUG has also called for the creation of a National Broadband Management Agency,
which would have responsibilities that are currently divided among various
agencies such as the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation and
the Department of Public Enterprise. 



"Because there are so many people responsible for broadband implementation, it
would be better to set up a specific agency in order to have a co-ordinated
approach," said Nickey Brennan, chairman of TUG, speaking to ElectricNews.net. 



"Eircom has given a DSL rollout plan, but it's hard to see when it's going to
happen," said Brennan. "It's also unclear where it's going to be implemented
first, whether the telecoms infrastructure will be able to handle the rollout,
and whether it will counteract the digital divide."



TUG also called for the establishment of an international carrier-neutral
Internet exchange in Ireland. He claimed that large multi-nationals are currently
required to use Internet exchanges that are based abroad, which adds to their
telecommunications costs.  



In terms of cost, TUG referred to a benchmarking study carried out by Forfas in
March, which found that Ireland is ranked as the most expensive country in the
SME category and the ninth most expensive for large organisations in terms of
broadband competitiveness.



TUG's report called for more transparency in telecommunications pricing, to allow
customers to make informed choices when selecting the appropriate service
providers for their business.



"Although carriers do provide detailed pricing information, it's difficult for
businesses to compare costs between carriers," said Brennan. "Many telecoms
bundle their services and prices vary according to time of day and call
destination, so it's nearly impossible to figure out who's giving the best
value."



A spokesperson for Eircom told ElectricNews.net that the company is sticking to
its schedule to bring DSL to Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Killarney, Tralee,
Westport and Sligo by the end of 2002. She also said that by the end of 2003, DSL
services would be available in another 57 towns as well as throughout the greater
Dublin area. 



By that point broadband services will be available to over one million customers,
which amounts to more than 50 percent of telephone subscribers, she said.



The Telecommunications User Group is a body within IBEC, open to people with an
interest in telecoms services and pricing, such as telecommunications managers or
IT managers. More information on the group's activities is at the IBEC href="http://www.ibec.ie/tug">Web site.