Real Broadband Alternatives 5
Irish Independent • Monday, 7 July, 2008
All aboard the platform
The key to the growth of broadband in Ireland is a wide array of different platforms for accessing the internet, writes GORDON SMITH
C
HOICE is the key Both cable and fixed-
to competition in wireless access subscriber
‘What we’re seeing is an
any market and numbers grew strongly in the
with broadband first three months of the year,
it’s no different. up 37pc and 29pc compared to
explosion in the kinds of
This goes beyond having the same time last year. By
different providers – although the end of March, there were
that’s important – as it 88,647 cable connections in
business propositions to be
includes various types of the country and 121,842
technologies which can be wireless links.
able to grow the market’
used to access the internet. Encouragingly, the ComReg
Digital Subscriber Line, or research shows these
DSL, is the most widely used platforms are growing far
method for accessing faster than DSL. Homes
broadband in Ireland, with connected via fibre-optic cable
more than half a million are classified along with
connections. This technology satellite and other services
uses the copper-wire and this category grew by 15pc
telephone network and as from 2007.
such has certain restrictions, Issued last December, the
such as distance from the broadband benchmarking
exchange and the quality of report from Forfás stressed better now,” he says. Joe Lavin, product manager
the wire for carrying a high- the need to improve Charl Tintinger, technical with Magnet, says fibre-optic
speed broadband signal. competition and availability operations manager with connections directly into the
The good news is there are of advanced services in order Digiweb, says the key benefit home are very price-
several viable alternatives to to improve Ireland’s standing of wireless broadband is that competitive and have the
DSL: other technologies for broadband. “Competition people don’t need a phone advantage of being able to
available in Ireland include between and within platforms line to get online. “This often offer very high speeds. “ADSL
the cable TV network, fixed has been a key driver of means the customer won’t was designed primarily for
wireless services connections product and price innovation have to pay line rental and high download and small
or optical fibre connections. internationally,” the report can save in the region of over upload. The idea was there
In some cases these are found. ¤300 a year. Wireless was a trade-off: to try to give
available in areas where DSL A choice of different access connections can often be a higher download speed they
connections don’t reach, so methods is key to serving the quicker and easier to deploy had to give a slower upload.
they’re important in ensuring greatest possible number of than DSL,” he adds. With fibre, you don’t have
that as many people as customers, adds Liam As for the cable network, those constraints.”
possible can get broadband. O’Halloran, chairman of Mark Coan, marketing and High speeds are important,
In areas where cable or ALTO, a representative group sales director with UPC Lavin says, as more people
wireless connections compete for alternative operators in Ireland, says an advantage is start to use the internet for
directly with DSL, consumers the communications market. that it is very scalable. The rich media applications like
can compare prices and “We would absolutely applications people are using music and video that go
speeds to make sure they’re advocate diversity; one now are richer, so they need beyond just web browsing.
getting the best value solution is not going to fit all,” more speed. To illustrate his “People are uploading and
broadband connection for says O’Halloran. “What we’re point, Coan says most of UPC’s downloading videos and
their needs. seeing is an explosion in the new customer base are anybody who’s doing that at 7
All told, more than one fifth kinds of business propositions subscribing to the higher o’clock in the evening over a
of broadband connections in able to grow the market.” is heading towards 100Mbps ahead of what can be provided not served by fixed-line require in the future and speed 6 and 12 Mbps packages contended DSL service knows
Ireland are on platforms other O’Halloran points out that territory, which is where we on DSL. In particular, you broadband, O’Halloran adds. certain wireless operators have rather than UPC’s 1Mbps just how slow your downloads
than DSL, according to the broadband over fibre-optic need to be,” he says. “The have the option of video on “In a lot of cases, DSL will not the reach and the technology entry-level service. “On the are, never mind uploads if
latest figures from the connections can be used to quality of service that can be demand as well as normal TV.” reach customers in remote to get up there. A year ago, footprints where you’re stuck you’re trying to put some of
telecommunications regulator provide high speeds and provided over a fibre to the Wireless networks can areas with the kind of wireless was in the 1 to 2Mbps on DSL, you can’t get that,” he your content on YouTube or a
ComReg. video-based services. “Fibre home environment is a step reach parts of the country bandwidth that people will space but it’s significantly adds. site like that.”
Talking about a new generation
Alternative platforms have given Digiweb greater reach for providing
broadband than traditional DSL players, Colm Piercy tells JOHN KENNEDY
T
HE future of
broadband is multi-
platform and if one
company has seized
this vision and
made it into a cohesive product
set, it’s Digiweb.
Digiweb founder and CEO,
Colm Piercy, says the problem
with growing the broadband
market in Ireland is most
consumers and businesses
think of Eircom as the total
telecoms industry, a perception
that needs to change.
This is something Digiweb is
attempting with great vigour.
When the firm first unveiled its
Metro product range a few
years ago, it had a very simple
message – whatever it takes
and whatever platform it takes,
you’ll get broadband.
Colm Piercy, Digiweb
That message has evolved
to include fourth-generation company is capable of numbers over. “Calls to other operators offer is 3G needs to
(4G) mobile broadband delivering 7.6Mbps over customers on the network are make a connection with the
technologies called Mobile IP, wireless and in locations where free of charge and calls to network. Mobile IP is an
and in specific cases, fast-fibre it has deployed ASDL2+, it is anyone else are at discounted always-on connection that
connections for businesses. able to deliver 12Mbps. rates 80pc lower than the never drops off the network
“To a large extent we have all “Technically, we can go all incumbent.” and is available as a pure, flat-
our technologies in place. While the way up to 22Mbps if He says another advantage to fee service.”
we do offer DSL over bitstream, business customers require it. the package that contention Ultimately, Piercy says, the
we’re more focused on our But many businesses today look ratios on Digiweb’s network mobile IP network will cover
technology platform that we’ve for 10Mbps leased-line are typically 24:1 and 36:1, over 83pc of the country by the
just rolled out, including fixed replacement.” compared with 40:1 or 50:1 on end of 2009. The next step will
and wireless platforms and our The deployment of other networks. include an expansion into
fibre infrastructure around symmetric wireless “Our technology actually Northern Ireland.
Dublin city.” technologies means Digiweb prioritises gaming or voice over Business at Digiweb has
Digiweb also has a satellite is capable of providing business IP applications, resulting in a been going from strength to
broadband service covering broadband connections from positive effect and no effect on strength and in recent months
100pc of the country. 20Mbps right up to 1Gbps. contention as might apply on a the company bought hosting
The company is having Piercy says it is time the Irish congested network.” provider Novara. “Increasingly
particular success in the residential and business But what has Piercy really in the months ahead we will be
business marketplace, enabling customer became aware there fired up is his company’s focusing heavily on our voice
business customers with are multiple platforms out expansion into mobile IP. “This and hosting offerings.”
multiple locations to put in there beyond what is being is not merely mobile In addition to this, the
place communications that can held up at the local exchange. broadband. It is a pure wireless company has received planning
sustain an entire supply chain “Ireland leads the field in terms IP network that will allow users permission to build a new data
or electronic point of sale of wireless broadband delivery, to download any application centre in Blanchardstown and
(EPOS) system. and that can be seen by the and avoid the complications has also announced a 40-job
“Before a business gives us its array of services available of 3G.” expansion.
list of locations, we know we’re compared with fixed line. He says typical speeds on “We are also looking at an
going to be able to say yes. It’s “When you look at speed, the mobile IP network – overseas expansion strategy.
only a case of which technology price-point and quality, copper available in 65pc of the country We have wireless licences to
we’re going to use. We’ve done isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. – are 5.3Mbps when static or deploy services like WiMax in
a lot of development work It costs you more because you between 2Mbps and 3Mbps the Republic and the UK. We’re
around making complex have to pay a line rental and its when in a moving car or train. also deploying a satellite hub in
technologies easy to deliver. If value is debatable.” Mobile IP services, he says, Ireland that will give us full
you’re a large customer with Digiweb’s main competitor are now available following a coverage across eastern Europe,
100 or 200 sites and want them to the standard DSL offering is successful trial that covered Russia and North Africa. We’ll
all connected on a single a 3Mbps wireless service that 100pc of the Fingal area of then look at deploying a second
corporate local area network costs ¤29.95 a month and Dublin and served 1,300 satellite to cover the southern
(LAN), we can do that.” includes a telephone service customers. hemisphere and gain access to
Piercy says with consumer where users have a choice if “The difference between recently deregulated markets
and SoHo broadband, the they want to port their original what we offer and what 3G like South Africa,” he concludes.
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