"While DSL roll-out is proceeding rapidly, take up is slower with some 2000 lines ordered by the end of October" From the foreword by Etain Doyle of ComReg's Quarterly Market Commentary, December 2002.

Dear Minister Dermot Ahern,

Please tell the Commission for Communications Regulation to cut the crap.
DSL roll-out is not only not proceeding rapidly, it is not happening at all. DSL-enabling a meagre 30% of lines and offering the service at an outlandish price of three times the EU average is not a roll-out.
Have a look at the official EC ADSL price comparison chart to understand why ADSL is not being taken up in Ireland – which is of course the whole idea behind Eircom's pricing.
After their argument that they had to "test" DSL for three years (in collusion with RTE no less – Eircom being one of the station's biggest ads and sponsorship money cows) became too ridiculous to put forward any longer, they now protect their unjustified profits from overpriced dial-up by pricing the consumer out of signing up for ADSL.

By the way, there is one other country where so far the regulator has failed to act for the good of the country and against the egoistic interest of the monopolistic Telco; that is Greece. Their broadband penetration is, like that of Ireland, at 0 percent.
How can we have confidence in a regulator who is still in a state of denial about the situation we are in? Or in a Minister who allows his regulator to continually pull the wool over his eyes?
Merely to catch up with our neighbours resolute steps are now necessary: FRIACO at 10 euros for the consumer and broadband at 30 euros for the consumer via a wholesale product. And there is not a moment to lose.

Regards,
Eircomtribunal

We append a letter we recently received for your attention. We think it is giving good insight into how the situation is experienced on the ground, illustrating the sad truth behind ComReg's hollow propaganda material.

"Dear EircomTribunal,
I am a director of a company which is now, was going to set up its operations in this country, in the Wexford area in fact.

We recruit, train and finance individuals to trade the stock market, so we use the Internet a lot. In Jan 2002 we considered moving some of our operation to this country. Having done a market feasibility study we gave the idea the go signal. By May 2002 we started interviews looking to recruit and train a dozen persons or so having been told (by Esat) that by the end of June ADSL services would be available in the Wexford area.

So in good faith we put in a bid for some lines (we thought that this might speed things up a bit). In response we received assurances that the lines would definitely be in by August. GOOD.
Coming from France, where the average bill would be in the region of 40 euros per month per line (set-up fee waived as it would be a bulk installation), we were a little astounded by this 90 euro price per line per month before VAT, but not worried as this would be just the initial price and expecting these prices to go down when Esat and Eircom saw the demand, as happened with France telecom (from 75 euros to 39 euros). Then, reading the fine print, we realised that the proposed installation cost included modems and extras which we could do (using the BT example) or supply ourselves at a much cheaper price and with less hassle. But no, no cheap self-install options available from Esat or Eircom.

Ok, so not as cheap as on the continent but we had recruited the staff, had found an ideal office and having strong ties to the country we decided that even with the extra costs it was still worth it mainly from a staffing point of view.

We are now in August, we knock on Esat's door: Can we have 5 lines? Have we got a number? No, as we haven't been told what our number will be from Eircom. "Sorry, cannot help you"
So back to Eircom. "Mr Eircom, we need to have a number"
Have you got an address?
Yes.
Have you got a phone number?
No there has never been a phone installed.
Ah well, then you will need to order a line? Ok?
How long will that take?
5 to 6 weeks.
Are you sure that long?
Yes.
Ok, if we order a line can we know what our number will be?
No.

We call Esat who then tell us that only numbers on one Wexford exchange (there being 2 exchanges in Wexford) will be adsl enabled.

Back to Eircom
So, if we order a telephone line and there will be a delay of 5 to 6 weeks and you cannot tell us what our number will be, can you at least tell us if the line we would order depends on the Wexford exchange yes or no?
No.
Could you tell us which area does depend on the Wexford exchange?
No.

So that would mean that we would bind ourselves to an office rental agreement without knowing if we could have the use of adsl? Answer from Eircom: Yes, but we don't care.

We are now end of September

Back to Esat to see if they could help us
Answer from Esat is no, and adsl will not be available in the Wexford region until early 2003, great!
Why?
We have been asked not to dig up the roads between now and Christmas. Did not know that it was necessary to dig up roads to install switching gear in an exchange, but you live and learn.

Now by August we had lost a third of our original recruits because of the delays.
By September we only have 2 recruits left on our books.
By the beginning of October we have let go of the option we had on the office.
By November we are loosing some of our financial backers. We are now in January 2003, we have to start recruiting staff all over again and still don't know if whatever office we can find will be ADSL enabled.

So what started off as being a good idea in a wonderful country has turned into a complete farce all because of Eircom's little war, first with the regulator, then with Esat and then coming up with ridiculous price structures.

As of today our projected implantation has been delayed 6 months, our losses have been estimated to be in the region of 100 000 euros, for a small company like ourselves this is vast. The jobs that we were to create in this country will most likely not be. Eircom will not make any money from us, Esat neither.

We do not expect any future development in the Irish telecom sector, so even if the public was to kick up a fuss, unless there is a real alternative we are sorry to say that for us there is no real future here.
We have been penalized.
The public is been penalized.
The companies in Ireland are being penalized.

Managing director Seveneye Services

Alek Farrell

PS: As far as Esat's announcement that ADSL is now available in Wexford it's too little too late for us."