News

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...

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...

White Space Wireless IrelandOffline notes the flurry of publicity surrounding so called White Space wireless (or using locally/regionally unused spectrum which is allocated to specific uses nationally) in recent weeks. IrelandOffline consider that the potential for interference to legitimate primary and secondary radio spectrum users is so great that we cannot see the value of such an initiative. IrelandOffline calls upon all participants to focus instead on delivering a widespread deployment of fibre-to-the-premises which, in conjunction with future WiFi technologies, will render the need for the current White Space proposals redundant within a few years and which is a better...

4G Licence Award We in IrelandOffline are delighted that the spectrum auctions raised badly need revenue for the state and hope this revenue can be used wisely for the benefit of the Irish people. One of the key goals of the auction was a 70% population coverage clause (cf 98% for UK auctions). We would, however like to take this opportunity to publicise what 70% geographic coverage actually means for rural consumers. It is less than 13% of the national area.(1) Even worse only 50% of the population need be served by the new technology and by the end of...

IrelandOffline have analysed the Comreg document 12/63 “Price regulation of bundled offers” in one of their interminable consultation extravaganzas. This is where (their words): “ComReg has gathered further data to help it understand better whether different structural conditions of competition are in fact evolving in different locations across Ireland”. Having abandoned rural Ireland to sub-standard 4G coverage Comreg now proposes to abandon the same consumers for broadband. Comreg basically  propose to allow eircom to “compete” in selected urban areas and at the direct expense of rural consumers. In these selected urban areas  no line rental (currently over €26 a month...