Broadband access for all

By Eamon O'Hara

According to Eamon O’Cuiv, TD, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, a medium term objective of the Government is for "all communities in Ireland to have access at any given time to the range of broadband they need at a competitive price''.

The Minister was speaking in Athlone on 3 February at a conference hosted by Comhar LEADER na hEireann (CLE) on ‘Bringing Telecommunications Infrastructure to Rural Communities'. Mr O’Cuiv told that conference that; "the Government wants to see the widespread availability of open-access, affordable, ‘always on' broadband infrastructure and services for businesses and citizens throughout the State within three years.''

€200 million has been allocated for the provision of telecommunications infrastructure under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. This investment is to be targeted at the construction of a new national fibre-backbone and will bring new players into the provision of telecom services. This development will challenge the hold of Eircom and Esat BT.

Minister O’Cuiv confirmed that these networks will be "open access'', which means that access will be provided on equal terms to all interested telecom companies, The Government believes that by providing access to the basic fibre infrastructure at a reasonable cost, it will be more attractive for telecom companies to develop services in rural areas, thereby increasing competition with the two main providers.

The Government has indicated that much of the preliminary work has now been completed and construction of the first three networks, in Cork, Galway and Ballina, will begin in February. It is envisaged that all of the networks will be completed by the end of 2004. A second phase of the project will target a further 48 towns. This work is to be completed within the next three years. If this is successful then all 123 towns in the State with a population of over 1500 are to be covered within a period of five years. A number of private sector projects, which will connect new technologies onto the end of these primary fibre networks, are also to receive Government co-funding.

The 19 towns and cities targeted in phase one of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) programme: Athlone, Ballina, Dungarvan, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Clonmel, Cork, Galway, Gaoth Dobhair, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Manorhamilton, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Roscommon, Shannon/Limerick, Tullamore, Waterford, Wexford.

Sorting the Jargon

Telecommunications capacity can be defined as either narrowband or broadband.

What is Narrowband?

Narrowband is a low speed telecommunications channel and is the traditional method of telecommunication. The telephone network is narrowband and is based on single copper cable.

What is ISDN?

ISDN refers to Integrated Services Digital Network, which is also delivered over copper cable. It is a technology that provides two channels thereby allowing voice and data to be transmitted at the same time.

What is Broadband?

The term broadband is used to describe a telecommunications channel that allows for the transmission of large amounts of data at high speeds. Broadband allows swift Internet access, as well as video on demand, video conferencing and web hosting.

What is the broadband network?

The broadband network is often viewed in the same way as the road network. The network is predominantly made up of two types of cable - fibre and copper. The fibre network, like a motorway, can carry large amounts of traffic at high speeds. The copper network is similar to minor road, carrying relatively less traffic at slower speeds. The network can be divided into three parts:

1. The backbone network (similar to motorways or national primary roads) consists of high capacity networks (usually fibre but sometimes copper) connecting cities and towns.

2. The backhaul network (similar to secondary non-national roads linking towns and smaller areas to national routes) connects the national backbone to local telephone exchanges. It can consist of both fibre and copper.

3. The local access network (similar to local roads and driveways) connects every business and home to the backhaul and backbone networks, via the local telephone exchanges. This has been the weakest link in the infrastructure in many remote areas because it consists mainly of copper cables.

What is DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology?

DSL allows customers to access the Internet and use the telephone simultaneously over existing copper telephone lines. DSL requires the installation of equipment at both ends (the user's premises and the local exchange) with digital technology.

Access speeds depend upon the length of the copper line to the exchange, so that in general, the longer the distance the slower the speed.

What is fibre optic cable?

Fibre optic cable can provide very high access speeds. Most of the backbone network is composed of fibre.

Telecommunications providers are gradually extending the reach of the fibre network into the backhaul network.