VDSL rollout (eFibre)
What a difference a decade makes! eircoms eFibre rollout is probably the best thing that has happened in Ireland in many years.
Time after time we were all told by the old eircom that we did not need broadband and that no money would be found to roll it out. Kafka himself could not have invented a more surreal dialogue than that of a decade ago where eircom’s 2003 era management constantly told us that we did not need broadband in Ireland and that it was therefore not eircom’s job to provide it, and how dare we question this perceived “wisdom”, that led to much lively debate!
Eventually the inevitable reality dawned and the original eircom Broadband rollout started but was mainly confined to larger towns back in 2003 eventually reaching many parts of the country but not all.
Current situation
IrelandOffline congratulates the current eircom management (and hard working staff) especially for what they are doing for the commuter belts of Ireland . The scale of their rollout, for example, on the northern fringes of Dublin/Fingal and in parts of Wicklow/Louth is very impressive and for the first time they will deliver more than adequate Broadband services to many areas. We hope that other neighbouring exchanges follow quickly over the next few months.
Until now it has been impossible to telecommute and work remotely in these areas, the lines were simply too long as they stretched way into the tiger era suburbs that had sprung up. Wireless and Cable competition was inadequate if indeed present at all. These suburbs grew while at the same time eircoms scarce resources were ravaged by a lethal combination of the ESOT and “Vulture Capital” bleeding them dry. Good Broadband provision is an enabler of economic growth, this must be said loud and clear.
Suburban and Commuter belt Ireland won’t know what hit them in 2013. We hope that eircom will respond to the inevitable uptake and latent demand by looking further outwards in their future planning.
IrelandOffline wish the eFibre rollout well. Enjoy your launch party guys and we look forward to a time when all of Ireland is complete.
So dublin/fingal are catered for what about the parts of the country outside the pale?
Ireland Offline? yeah still offline if not near dublin. efibre was a NATIONAL rollout and not jut Dublin. This is a crass statement and does not for Offlines credibility.
eFibre has been rolled out nationally, Gerry. Our point was to welcome the investment (at a time no one else is investing significantly in wired infrastructure).
The Fingal reference was to make the point that eircom could roll out rapidly where they wanted to, and that IO hope they repeat that in the other areas they are rolling out to (a subtle dig, if you like).
If you check out our forum, you’ll see there is a mapping effort under way which shows the the eFibre roll-out (most major towns).
Finally, if we don’t praise where it’s due and constantly criticise, then nobody listens to you / takes you seriously. We praised where we felt credit was due. It wasn’t a universal endorsement of all things eircom, all things eFibre, all things VDSL, or even all things FTTC!
Well in fairness this is basically an interim step, sure it’s only around urban areas like Letterkenny and Tralee etc at this time but we hope it will be rolled out in other areas in the future, this is what we want and have said so clearly but politely…
This will show the areas that are currently “enabled” sure it’s not Leenane or Waterville but the network is expanding
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?docid=1M_lYcvMkt7xIqqSa43TdS1s25oRqtA2JgpxAkYM&pli=1#map:id=4
We’ll NEVER forget about the rest of the country be assured
I was lucky enough to meet technicians beside the 2000th cabinet installation. They are pretty excited about their work and they should be. It is long overdue work but fingers crossed for a faster roll-out and hopefully increased coverage over the next few years.
R3d
So after cynically stifling the market with wilful stupidity and holding the ex-urban population to ransom we’re meant to jump on the Eircom train now with their mind-blowing 70Mbps service. I WILL NEVER USE EIRCOM FOR ANY COMMUNICATION NEEDS EVER AGAIN. BOYCOTT EIRCOM I SAY UNTIL THEY OFFER AN APOLOGY TO US.
I wonder when (if ever) that “national” rollout will come to all middle-of-nowhere houses around the country. Considering plenty of them don’t even have ADSL possibilities yet – I really doubt. And I hope I’m wrong.
Small follow-up: if you go to eircom’s efibre map, take a look below it and read as follows: “not all homes within the eFibre area can avail of the service”. LOL! Just like politicians’ promises indeed.
Do you know what is funny? about 10 yrs ago the idiots laid fibre down the road in front of our house – in the middle of nowhere – then just left it there with the end sticking up out of the ground! A few years ago the local council concreted over the top of the end when they where putting in new road signs… “Eircom – a continuing lesson in how to waste COLOSSAL amounts of cash and somehow stay in business”…
I live in an are on an fibre enabled cabinet.
There are 2 houses here who Eircom will not supply fibre to, and also will not come out to check the lines for faults. House in between and either side of us and all around us have FTTC installed and yet Eircom will not even offer to check out lines. This is disgraceful. Speaking to an engineer who installed the house next door he said we are on the same cabinet and we SHOULD get fibre, and even pointed out a joint on the line servicing our houses and said 100% the problem will be there, but he cant touch it until we order fibre. Then, when we try to order it, the drones on the phone wont listen to reason and just repeat the mantra “your line is showing as not on an enabled exchange”. I want to give Eircom my money, but they are not interested in doing some work to provide me with the service.
My townland has a population of about 2,500, with about 250 houses in the village itself. eFibre cabinets are enabled in the towns before and after us, but skips us. The nearest ADSL broadband exchange is about 10k away, but isn’t on the list for an upgrade. I can get Eircom ADSL at .3meg, the only one in my area, even though I am further from the exchange than most. (The ADSL lines go past the village and out to me, but nobody actually in the village can get it). I have a non-shared phoneline back to the exchange, while everybody elses seems to be shared, (between eight houses). It really gets me down when I see the VDSL coverage map and we’re not on it. I also pay for Ripplecom, which is very hit and miss, terrible infrastructure, and a 3mobile dongle, which often grinds to a halt. I run my own technology business from home and really need moderately fast broadband, but ISPs are very willing to take your money and fail to provide a useable service. Still, eFibre will be a huge benefit to many in and around towns, but many people still won’t be able to avail of it.
Just checked the efibre rollout map on the Eircom website and my area is most definitely in and area which would equate to “efibre not available”…..does this mean that I won’t be getting it as it’s not included in the roll out plan???