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Irish Wireless Communications Struggle Even After Government Support

The decision to close the retail chain came on the heels of Sigma Telecom losing one of its biggest customers, Meteor. Eircom, Meteor’s parent, appointed Sigma rival RCI Radius as the new distributor for Meteor.

The retail unit had also struggled with inflated rents in high-profile locations, as the ongoing recession in Ireland left majority of operators and retailers struggling with historically lower consumer spending patterns. Nevertheless, the Irish government is pushing ahead with its ambitious plans to boost broadband connectivity; something which is becoming increasingly vital as operator spend is reined in.

Under the government’s National Broadband Scheme (NBS), satellite operator Eutelsat has been selected to provide its Tooway satellite broadband service to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity to homes and businesses in rural parts of Ireland.

Eutelsat’s regional Tooway distributor, Satellite Broadband Ireland, will deliver the service under a separate contract from Hutchison Whampoa’s 3, the mobile operator that has been selected to run the broadband rollout on behalf of the Irish government. France-based Eutelsat’s satellite service will deliver broadband speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps to an estimated 5% of the 223,000 targeted buildings across rural Ireland, as part of the €223 million (US$330 million) scheme which aims to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to the whole country.

It was inevitable that some of Ireland’s NBS would have to be provided by satellite, with even 3′s mobile broadband network rollout struggling to cover the most remote islands in the north and west of the country, with geographical challenges meaning the cost of base stations would be too great. The Irish government and the EU are providing up to €79.8 million to the scheme, which is intended to provide broadband services to designated rural districts, increasing connectivity and providing access to online services, something the government hopes will boost the country’s flagging economy.

About the Author

Anil Barga at http://eirmoney.com

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