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IrelandOffline has recently been examining documents emanating from Comreg and have spotted a worrying trend and the certain likelihood of large price increases for ALL users and not just rural users. Much has been made in the media of a probable “price hike” for rural broadband users, the spin helpfully put on this is that urban dwellers are subsidising rural users leading to the conclusion that eircom may be allowed to charge correspondingly higher prices outside of urban areas(1). This is a very worrying development as consumers with bad and rotten connections will now have the privilege of paying more...

http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg1477.pdf Well done Comreg! Finally a decision that is consumer focused. Now apply the same logic to all the other telcos! This decision this means that eircom can no longer charge penalties when changing providers and many consumers are due a refund if charges have been applied to your account on these grounds. From the decision: “Eircom will immediately remove from its terms and conditions any provisions allowing charges, claims or penalties to be applied in lieu of notice.” “This means that Eircom customers outside of their minimum contractual term may change service provider by agreement with a new provider without...

We here at IrelandOffline note once again that Comreg is announcing that they intend to measure the performance of broadband providers here in Ireland. Speaking at the Broadband Forum 2014 in Dublin, Kevin O’Brien said ComReg would be seeking to establish a panel to conduct speed measurement trials. “An ongoing bugbear of consumers is that actual broadband speed is often not as fast as what is advertised by their internet service provider. However, Mr O’Brien said the planned project would bring greater transparency to the Irish marketplace when it comes to speed.” Thanks for the update Kevin. We pointed this...

IrelandOffline very much welcome the formal announcement this morning of a joint venture between the ESB and Vodafone(JV) to roll out broadband to a number of towns in Ireland. Any expansion of high quality broadband to areas outside of the major urban centres is to be welcomed. We do however caution though that this rollout is not the panacea to the lack of broadband in rural Ireland. This may be tackled at a later date. What do we know? The JV : Will target towns where there are more than 4000 buildings Some Fibre to the building will be included...