Christ, we all want better access, we all know the decision making up to now has been crap, we all know that vested interests have f****d up the situation. Now, can we not all get our collective minds and energies into gear and support a DEBATE on the subject based on intelligent assessment of what a) has to happen b) needs to happen and c) requires political movement to happen. In the comments here there is the basis for a document which should and could be EXPLAINED, for that is what is needed, to those who need to undertand the issues. Shane Ross has started the ball rolling, Coveney admits ignorance, they both need support, as well as those in Communications, ComReg, and the much maligned consultants who ‘advise’ on policy. We can put forward the options and the consequences, they won’t take any notice of carping.

“Think of the children! Why not connect every school to the MANs outside their doors and stop providing satellite to them?”

B*****x, there are a load of places where there is no infrastructure at all, never mind MANs. FG may be off the wall, but at least they are willing to open the discussion on bb.
Anyway, recent comments, which I don’t think you mentioned but other blogs did, indicate that the Dept of Ed hasn’t funded the proper equipment to actually use the access there is…. another story.

eircom does not have any legal exclusivity on ducts with eirocm hatches …nor does ntl

I have ( in the past) run fibre through eircom hatched ducts because they are there , I had the permission of the owner of the business park, eircom grunted and said OK .

Great topic … And superbly “apt”.

The ducting to new developments and road infrastructure exists and is of excellent quality , but when you actually contact an S.P to connect they charge ridiculous rates before they can say if they can provide poor qos of said affordable fast 1st world broadband on their terms.

I know this from practice. 2″ ducting to the door 4″ from path 6″ on roadways. Your local county council will refrain for as long as possible from taking over these for unknown reasons to me (some one care to enlighten me )?

Why do all newly layed p+t junction boxes bare the Eircom logo ( are they still state owned … :/ ) ?

IMHO it’s not a fair market with the privately owned ducting it should be compulsory owned by a separate state body and definitely not local government ( What is it most of them actually do , I would bet there not in half the time, those that are in are afraid to make decisions afaik) no ?

A search on google for Fine Gael Broadband returns

http://www.google.ie/search?q=fine+gael+broadband&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a