IrelandOffline

The importance of broadband

It is now been clearly demonstrated how important the subject of broadband is to Irish people, be it only curiosity or genuine broadband seekers,  over the last two days over 2000 people have visited our website, this is an enormous number of people for a website that is dedicated to just one topic and that topic is broadband. It is eminently clear that this is a topic of huge importance for the future of Ireland and it demonstrates how important it is that we must get the National Broadband plan right, Ireland is waiting for it, from people who currently...

Lack of broadband and what it actually means

Now that the excitement of the VDSL rollout has subsided we must keep in mind those who do not currently have access to broadband and the economic damage this can cause. We in IrelandOffline have been contacted by numerous consumers and businesses across the country outlining to us their difficulties with broadband and explaining why the lack of broadband is causing them economic difficulties and costing Ireland many jobs. Why broadband is so important for economic growth The consensus view of organisations such as the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) – two of the world’s most...

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...

The Office of the Information Commissioner makes a bizarre decision a mere 4 years late

IrelandOffline has been made aware of a long running Freedom of Information request dating back over four years and whose decision[1] has recently emerged from the desk of the Information Commissioner (OIC). It is a sad tale of delay, obfuscation and bizarre review procedures not worthy of a so-called modern democracy. One also has to question the reasoning of this decision. Reasons why the information is important today At the end of all this, 5 years later, the public still have no idea what information was used by the Department of Communications (DCENR)  to select / deselect various areas for...

Upside-down regulation

IrelandOffline received Comreg’s latest proposals(1) which are still neatly hidden under the innocuous title of “Price regulation of bundled offers” which sneakily refers to something completely different altogether. We have read the document in utter dismay. What in actual fact it really means is Comreg want to create micro-markets where eircom can compete with UPC but only in selected urban areas. The vast bulk of the country will not benefit from these proposals and it goes,  in our opinion, completely contrary to the basic fundamental theories of regulation. Surely the purpose of regulation is to create the environment for competition...