Fixed wireless network rolls out in Dublin

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
Homes and businesses in the Dublin area can now get high-speed wireless Internet access from Irish Broadband. The telco said on Monday that it had begun supplying customers with broadband via its service, which operates in the unlicensed 2.4GHz band. Irish Broadband's products offer a lower contention ratio than standard DSL, which should make them attractive to small businesses, and consumers who want to guarantee a fast connection even at peak times. Alvarion has supplied the hardware for the project, and the company believes that it shows that wireless has a key role to play in both urban and rural deployment. "Fixed wireless has come of age in both Ireland and the UK," said Zvi Slonimsky, chief executive of Alvarion, in a statement. "We are seeing a growing number of networks being rolled out by new operators, together with enterprises looking for superior solutions for building-to-building connectivity. We are pleased to help Irish Broadband succeed by providing its customers with what they need -- fast, reliable and inexpensive broadband connectivity," Slonimsky added. Irish Broadband's business broadband range starts at 135 euros (£96) + VAT per month for a 512Kbps connection, rising to 250 euros (£180) + VAT per month for a 1Mbps connection, and 450 euros (£323) + VAT per month for a 2Mbps link. These products all offer a contention ratio of four to one, meaning that a maximum of three other users will be sharing the bandwidth at any one time. Most standard ADSL broadband services come with a higher (i.e. worse) contention ratio. The consumer products offer an eight-to-one contention ratio, compared to a standard consumer ADSL ratio of 50:1. The 512Kbps residential product costs 48.40 euros (£35), including VAT, per month, and the 1Mbps product costs 84.70 euros (£61), including VAT, per month. These prices are more expensive than those available in the UK, but compare favourably with current prices in Ireland. Customers will also face a significant start-up cost to cover the cost of installing the necessary equipment. The set-up fee for the business products is 365 euros (£260) plus VAT, compared to 381 euros (£273) including VAT for the consumer products. Irish Broadband says it is confident that new customers will be connected quickly to its service. "Fixed wireless is the ultimate access method for independent network operators like us. It enables us to provide a full broadband service independently, without relying on the last mile of the incumbent operator's copper infrastructure. It is easy and quick to install and enables us to reach new subscribers fast, connecting new customers within days of an initial order," said Paul Doody, managing director of Irish Broadband.
See the Broadband News Section for the latest on cable modems, ADSL, satellite and other high-speed access technologies, including a comprehensive guide to the best deals out there. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

BrownieBoy

@Jack, > Works really well for thieves.... Nice attempt to deflect the argument by tossing in a point that's totally irrelevant, even it were...

10 hours ago by BrownieBoy on AMD Ultrathins to challenge Intel Ultrabooks
bootlegger

Make that 13 people now - I got refused today at Manchester airport. I thought I was up to date on this legislation - I knew of the EU ruling from...

13 hours ago by bootlegger on UK airport body scans will not be opt out
tinycg

Don't forget to check out apps like GoodReader or SlideShark either, they're indispensible for people on the go in presentation situations. Best...

15 hours ago by tinycg on Four top iPad apps for people on the move
TerryRK

Well it seems there is something a number of us agree on. Why is the Ubuntu Unity launcher so ugly? I thought perhaps it was something to do with...

20 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Freebies202

Duplicate comments are not made intentionally. Its very good to know that now you are keeping check on this problem because sometimes a commenter...

1 day ago by Freebies202 on Microsoft fixes blog comments, speeds up blogs with open source
kevinmchapman

"the very significant number of users" and "many (most) of us" - you have no evidence for these statements. It is a fact that most users are saying...

2 days ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Marg Menzies Harrison

Another grammar faux pas is the improper use of "you". When sitting down down in a restaurant, for example, I get cringe when the waitress...

2 days ago by Marg Menzies Harrison via Facebook on 10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid
zdnetukuser

And NOW, folks, for Canonical's next trick... Kubuntu is late. Here's a pencil. Draw your own conclusions. cf.:...

2 days ago by zdnetukuser on Linux Minterface
Moley

@kevinmchapman. The discussion here reflects the very significant number of users who really do like the traditional menu system and who wish to...

2 days ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
kevinmchapman

Er, no... It is an efficient means of finding the application/file/setting you need in one place. The icons are a simply a fallback for when you...

2 days ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

Isn't the provision of a text based search an admission by the developers that the mass of icons approach does not work? I don't need to use a...

2 days ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
kevinmchapman

"Unity and GNOME 3 both abandon the old text-based cascading menus in favour of a graphical icon-driven system." Point truly missed. Both use a...

2 days ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
TerryRK

whs001 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked the article. I absolutely agree with you on your first point. I should perhaps have made it clearer that...

2 days ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Dennis Nilsson

If we allow corporate interest to dictate the way our government circumvents due process against foreign entities then we should accept the same...

2 days ago by Dennis Nilsson via Facebook on ACTA stumbles in Germany
GHar123

I totally dislike pirating of works, I fear that artists will be deterred from creating works if they think that they are going to get ripped off....

2 days ago by GHar123 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
JCB33

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

2 days ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
Moley

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

2 days ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
greycynic

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

2 days ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity
GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

2 days ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

2 days ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint