Broadband Options in the West of Ireland
Posted by top10-broadband.co.uk on November 2, 2009, under General.
Though Ireland is relatively low-down the list of international countries in terms of total number of broadband subscribers, a healthy 22% of the population is still connected at high speeds. As you might imagine, this is limited to the more urbanised areas in which ADSL and Cable broadband are accessible. Fixed line services have their limitations and in more rural areas like the West of Ireland getting access to a broadband connection can be tricky. Controversy and potholes have affected the proliferation of broadband in the West of Ireland and while some people are stuck in broadband black spots, there are still a few ways to get connected.
As part of the National Broadband Scheme, one provider was to be contracted in order to provide broadband to every willing household within Ireland. In December 2008, that contract was won by 3 Mobile. If you are intrigued by the NBS and want to know more there is a dedicated website with all of the details about the scheme. In essence it aims to provide last-mile broadband connections for those unable to receive a connection by traditional means.
However, since the announcement there has been widespread criticism of the assignment of 3 Mobile as the sole beneficiaries. Commentators have highlighted that the deal will allow 3 to develop their existing networks within the region, but will be of little benefit for business users. This is because 3G technology is still of limited use when it comes to broadband connections. Mobile broadband, which requires a USB Dongle, offers varying connection speeds, but 3`s networks and dongles only afford a theoretical maximum of 3.6Mbps. In reality, the actual connection speed customers in the West of Ireland can achieve via mobile broadband will vary and usually will be much lower. This is OK if you are a light broadband users, but for businesses mobile broadband under the NBS is a virtually unviable option. Essential modern services like VoIP are crippled by the slow download and upload speeds that mobile broadband offers. The dongle technology also limits the usability of a connection to a single customer, though with new Mi-Fi devices now available this secondary problem has been somewhat alleviated for domestic customers.
Another issue with mobile broadband`s integration into the NBS scheme is that at the time of writing there are no clear deadlines for a complete rural roll-out of the new technology. It is seen as counter-productive by critics to offer mobile broadband in the areas which are already well supplied with existing fixed line technologies. Rural areas will eventually benefit from mobile broadband, but there may still be a waiting period to endure.
Eircom represent another consideration for broadband in the West of Ireland. They provide a huge range of products for personal and business users and specialise in services for those who are not able to receive a connection via a fixed line. For example they offer a flat rate satellite broadband connection which is suitable for businesses and homes in extremely isolated regions. This will use satellites to beam information to and from your property, so like mobile broadband it is completely wire-free. However, satellite broadband often offers higher costs and lower download speeds than fixed line alternatives. Satellite broadband therefore suffers from the same limitations as Mobile Broadband and it is unlikely that larger scale enterprises in rural regions will be able to gain any meaningful benefits from a satellite connection. Eircom also have mobile broadband options to consider, though it is worth checking a coverage map to see if your area within the West of Ireland is covered before you commit.
Digiweb is another broadband provider in the West of Ireland which offers fixed line DSL as well as Satellite broadband across the region for a flat monthly fee. You will need to consider carefully the download limitations as well as the speed limitations of a satellite broadband connection, but in some cases this may be your only option. Businesses are also well catered for with a range of packages to suit small, medium and large enterprises at all stages of their growth.
Some broadband in the West of Ireland is operated on a regional basis by smaller local providers. For example, County Mayo is serviced by Westnet. Their website gives extensive details about their various services, as well as coverage maps to see if their wireless broadband is available in your area. Westnet`s service requires than an antennae is attached to your property and also that there is a clear line of sight between your antennae and their own wireless broadband base-station. Speeds of up to 2Mbps are available for residential customers, whilst up to 3Mbps for business customers is possible. This means that Westnet offer a step up from mobile or satellite broadband, but is still slightly lagging behind fixed line broadband in terms of speed, at least in areas, where eircoms 7Mbps is available.
In the future, customers in isolated areas in the West of Ireland should expect some alleviation of their broadband woes by the introduction of WiMAX technology. In some areas of Ireland this revolution has already begun, with Dublin and the surrounding regions already privy to a high speed WiMAX network offered by Imagine Communications. WiMAX offers faster speeds than most ADSL landline connections and as such will prove to be an extremely desirable technology, especially for high-end domestic users and business owners. The only way to ensure that WiMAX is rolled out across the West of Ireland as soon as possible is to get online, get on the phone or even write a letter and request it. If suppliers see that there is enough of a demand for high-speed wireless broadband in your area then they will be more likely to bring it away from the cities and into the countryside. It is likely that WiMAX will need government funding to supplement the consumer interest, but it could ultimately provide the perfect solution for broadband in the West of Ireland.
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Paul on November 17, 2009
iWab delivers real broadband from your mobile phone provider.In Jan 2010 we will have the first iWab home mobile data unit which will impove your mobile broadband service from your mobile service provider.e-mail me with your details, I will send you more information.
Paul.