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INTRODUCTION

• The following is an outline of the different broadband options for a sole trader business in the area of Templeogue

• Templeogue is a suburb of South West Dublin

• The population of Templeogue is 11,481

• There are 12 broadband providers in Templeogue

• There are 5 ways to get broadband in Templeogue - Cable TV, Satellite, 3G mobile, DSL (over your phone line) and Wireless (for example, WiMax).

So what is Broadband ?

• The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device

TYPES OF INTERNET ACCESS• DSL

Refers collectively to all types of digital subscriber lines, the two main categories being ADSL and SDSL. DSL technologies use sophisticated modulation schemes to pack data onto copper wires. They are sometimes referred to as last-mile technologies because they are used only for connections from a telephone switching station to a home or office, not between switching stations.

• ADSL(Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

ADSL is a type of DSL broadband communications technology used for connecting to the Internet. ADSL allows more data to be sent over existing copper telephone lines, when compared to traditional modem lines. A special filter, called a micro filter, is installed on a subscriber's telephone line to allow both ADSL and regular voice (telephone) services to be used at the same time. ADSL requires a special ADSL modem and subscribers must be in close geographical locations to the provider's central office to receive ADSL service.

• Cable

Cable operators use the same ADSL technology but deliver it through cable already entering the home, for other services such as Digital TV. Cable has the advantage of no line rental, however it is generally restricted to urban areas where the network is capable of carrying the signal.

• WiMax

This relatively new technology allows the user to access their provider from anywhere within the coverage range, from any of their base stations. With this flexibility you can bring your connection with you if you were to move house. There are now smaller devices available that will fit into your pocket and can be a convenient way to access the Internet on the move.

• Satellite

Satellite Internet does not use telephone lines or cable systems, but instead uses a satellite dish for two-way (upload and download) data communications. Upload speed is about one-tenth of the 500 kbps download speed. Cable and DSL have higher download speeds, but satellite systems are about 10 times faster than a normal modem.

• Fixed wireless

Wireless has become extremely popular in Ireland with operators in all of the major towns and cities (and in many rural areas) that ADSL technology cannot reach. Many of the Wireless services have a symmetric service allowing for higher speed uploads, however, you must have "Line Of Sight" to a providers base station to pick up a signal. It can be a good way to get connected quickly and easily, whilst you do not need to order a new landline.

• Mobile

Mobile broadband is powered by the same technology that makes mobile phones work. It's all about radio waves and frequencies. Mobile phones and Mobile-phone radio towers send packets of digital information back and forth to each other via radio waves. In the case of a phone call, the packets of information carry voice data. For mobile broadband, the packets of information would be other types of data like e-mails, Web pages, music files and streaming video.

• SDSL & ADSL2+

These are seen as a progression from ADSL, in that the technology allows for more speed in both directions in the case of SDSL and higher speed downloads when using ADSL2+. Availability is still restricted to town and city centers, with the reach of these access methods less than ADSL.

• LLU

Local Loop Unbundled exchanged means that the exchange has more than one operator with equipment installed and available to users. Operators with their own equipment in an exchange have full control over the types of services they offer such as ADSL2+ and SDSL, with lower contention, higher download speeds and extra services such as VoIP, Gaming, Home Security and IPTV.

PROVIDERS IN MY AREA

WHAT TYPE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY ARE THEY ?

Digiweb – Broadband, Mobile, Home phone and Hosting

Smart telecom - Broadband for home and business, Home phone and TV

UPC – Fibre Power Broadband, Home phone and TV

Eircom – Broadband, Home phone and Mobile

Magnet – Broadband, home phone and TV

Imagine – WiMax Broadband, home phone and mobile broadband

Onwave – Boadband, Home phone and TV

WHAT TYPE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS ARE THEY ? CONTINUED . . . .Mobile Broadband . . . . .

Emobile – Part of the eircom group

O2 – Mobile and home broadband

Vodafone – Broadband, home phone and mobile

Meteor – Mobile broadband on the go

3 Mobile – Mobile broadband, wireless broadband and SIM only broadband

WHAT TYPE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS ARE THEY ? CONTINUED . . . .

Digiweb – 9 Packages

Smart telecom – 9 packages

UPC – 5 packages

Eircom – 3 packages

Magnet - 5 packages

Imagine – 4 packages

Onwave – 4 packages

MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION

Digiweb is a telecommunications company in Ireland, supplying business and consumer broadband and web hosting.

Digiweb offer a variety of broadband services in Ireland: Metro Wireless Broadband (Broadband & Phone), Mobile Broadband (as of 2007), DSL Broadband (over standard phone lines) and Satellite broadband.

The main wireless broadband service offers various broadband packages from 1Mb down/256kb up (economy service) to 10Mb down/2Mb up (premium service). The service requires line-of-sight to the transceiver location and is offered up to 10 km from the point-of-service; this limit was set under the original Comreg licence conditions. Metro uses DOCSIS 2.0 over microwave frequencies.

A smaller-scale wireless broadband service (using Airspan) is offered in smaller towns around the country.

As Digiweb offer a phone service without the Eircom copper pair they are one of the few competitors along to Eircom's fixed line voice service.

Business Broadband

In 2007, recently launched a revised business broadband portfolio with speeds of 100Mbit/s as well as higher end solutions with extra capacity and symmetrical speeds. In mid 2008, they announced the launch of a new 1Gb business package

Smart Telecom is an Irish telecom operator that started as a phone card seller. It is also the third largest provider of cost sensitive telecom services sector in Ireland, behind the incumbent operator Eircom and BT Ireland. It currently has an estimated 50,000 land-line customers and 18,000 broadband subscribers. It lost 20,000 land-line customers who reverted to Eircom in 2006.

Smart are probably most widely known for its residential broadband services, which launched in early 2005.

Smart only offers 1 business package but offers 4 corporate packages.

Its broadband internet service uses ADSL2+ broadband technology, which gives them an advantage in that Smart can provide higher speeds to customers, as well as having a longer "range" on the line

The broadband is provided completely independent of Eircom, using high speed fibre MAN's throughout the country to connect from the local smart enabled exchange to their co-located data centres across the country.

UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital (VoIP) telephony to over 531,000 customers. UPC Ireland previously traded under the branding Chorus NTL until May 4, 2010. It is primarily in competition with Sky Ireland and Magnet Networks in the Irish Pay television market.

They provide a range of packages using fibre optic cable with speed of up to 30mb

Through the use of a cable modem, you can access fibre power broadband internet connection that is designed to work over a fibre optic network

Because coaxial cable is used, the technology can provide greater bandwidth then telephone lines and significantly faster access to the internet then DSL providers who provide their service over copper pairs.

Eircom provides a range of DSL Broadband services as well as broadband, broadband talk and home phone.

As of 2nd quarter 2006, 370,000 customers had broadband, 260,000 on DSL and the others on a mix of FWA, cable and satellite.

On 1 November 2007, Eircom announced their 500,000th DSL customer.

 In terms of speed and availability, Eircom exchanges can only deliver broadband to houses within 5 km (3.1 mi) in most of its exchanges

In 2011 Eircom announced that they would invest €100 million on high speed fibre optic lines which would be delivered as a pilot scheme to customers in Dublin and Wexford.

Imagine offer a range of DSL broadband servies as well as wireless, broadband, home phone and mobile broadband – 3mb ADSL

Imagine has a number of strategically placed high sites which allows customers to connect with the imagine network using a radio unit linked to the roof mounted antenna.

This equipment will link the user to the nearest Imagine base station. Connection is generally available within 5km of each high site.

Imagine later became the first company to introduce mobile WiMAX technology to Ireland. As of 2010, the company provides services to 17,000 businesses.

Imagine has affiliations with several brands, including Motorola, HP, and Intel.

Satellite broadband is the only technology that can offer 100% coverage and so Onwave immediately formed a strategic partnership with Eutelsat, Europe's leading satellite operator to deliver a range of broadband services over its network.

Satellite technology has come a long way even this short period of time. The new high capacity KA-SAT satellite, which came online in June 2011, has ten times the throughput and one hundred times the capacity of the previous generation of satellite. Delivering high speed broadband comparable to median DSL speeds (8Mb) to any location in the UK and Ireland is now a reality with Onwave.

Today Onwave is one of Europe's largest distributors of broadband over satellite.

DIGIWEBThere are 3 business plans from Digiweb :

Metro Package DSL Package Satellite

Monthly Price – 49.95 49.95 49.55

Download speed – 8MB 3MB 8Mbps

Upload speed – 2Mb 384KB 2Mbps

Traffic Quota – 70GB 70GB 8GB

Phone Lines Included – 2 Included 1 Included ------

Installation Fee – 49 Once off charge Free Once off charge 2 219.95 for equipment &install

Smart TelecomThere is only 1 business plan from Smart Telecoms :

Business 24Mb for €24

500 GB Traffic Included

Static IP Public Address - 1 included

24Mb Down / 1Mb Up

Optional Wi Fi

UPC

There are 5 Business plans from UPC :

Eircom

There are 3 business plans from Eircom :

Monthly Price – 45.00 Monthly Price – 40.00

Value Business Plan 3Mb Bundle Up to 12Mb/1.1Mb Business Starter

Line rental included Upgrade to Package and get 2 months free Up to 3Mb always on broadband Free self-install connection *Unlimited local & national calls Free Wi-fi

Consistent Broadband speeds 24/7

Monthly Price – 20.65

Business Lite Next Generation Upgrade to this package and get 1 month free 10GB download allowance FREE self install Consistent Broadband Speeds 24/7

Imagine

Onwave

There are 2 Business Plans from Onwave

Tooway 10+ Pro* Onwave 10+ Pro*

Description Asymmetrical Asymmetrical

Download 10Mb 10Mb

Upload 4Mb 4Mb

Data usage per month 25GB 40GB

Public Static IP Addresses 4 4

Boosters available?** Yes Yes

Company size Up to 15 users Up to 15 users

VoIP QoS Yes Yes

What Would I Choose for my Business ?

The broadband provider I would choose for my SME would have to be Eircom’s value business plan.

The reason I choose this was because of the price of 45.00 seems very reasonable for what I get and the extra bonus of free international and local calls could be very important for my business.

Even though there are better offers for speed I still think that there is enough for a small business.

References

Price comparisons from,

http://www.bonkers.ie/compare-broadband/dublin-county/broadband-in-templeogue

Onwave Packages from,

http://www.onwave.ie/packages/broadband

UPC Packages from,

http://business.upc.ie/products/small_to_medium_enterprises/broadbandandphon/

Eircom Packages from,

http://business.eircom.net/broadband/

Imagine packages from,

http://www.imaginebusiness.ie/broadband/broadband_wireless.php

References continued . . .

Smart Packages from,

http://www.smarttelecom.ie/business_broadband/more_details/Business_24Mb_for_%E2%82%AC24.aspx

Digiweb packages from,

http://www.digiweb.ie/business/products/connectivity/broadband/

Other references

http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://www.getbroadband.ie/broadband_guide_2.php

http://broadbandireland.blogs.ie/category/o2/

http://www.tryswitch.ie/BusinessBroadband/BusinessBroadbandIndex.aspx

http://www.uchoose.ie/We-explain-the-different-types-of-Broadband-available-in-Ireland-1/read/