IP: connectivity in Europe -- and Ireland, in particular

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>From: Brendan Kehoe <brendan@zen.org>
>Date: Mon, 21 May 2001 11:49:36 +0100
>To: farber@cis.upenn.edu
>Subject: connectivity in Europe -- and Ireland, in particular
>
>
>In Europe there's quite a diverse collection of options for connecting to the
>Internet.  The variety comes not from a rich choice set, but rather from the
>drastic differences from one country to the next.  England and France have far
>different examples of what's available, compared to others like Portugal and
>Ireland.
>
>Recently in Ireland one of the telecommunications companies, ESAT (owned by
>British Telecom, ironically enough) launched a program called
>`Surf-No-Limits'.  During off-peak times customers could dial up for a flat
>rate of 20 pounds per month.
>
>However, in late April ESAT sent letters to 2000 of its Surf-No-Limits (SNL)
>customers saying that they were using the "no limits" too much, and would be
>cut off.  Period.  No other choices.
>
>A Web site's been set up by IrelandOffline, a new group that's started to
>not only address Esat's recent debacle of Surf-No-Limits, but also to campaign
>for unmetered, affordable access to the internet in Ireland for home users and
>small businesses.  It's long overdue, particularly for a country that's trying
>to pitch itself as the ``e-commerce hub of Europe.'' [1]
>
>For details about the Surf-No-Limits (SNL) problem see Dave Walsh's story in
>today's Irish Times:
>
>     http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/computimes/2001/0521/ct1.htm
>
>This issue has caught the attention of people in Ireland who realize that
>options for connectivity are few and far between.
>
>It's my hope that the folks on IP will be able to assist in the growth of
>useful Internet connectivity in Europe by spreading the word of this group far
>and wide to anyone who would find the topic to be of interest.
>
>
>IrelandOffline - http://www.irelandoffline.com/
>
>IrelandOffline is an independent organisation, campaigning for unmetered,
>affordable access to the internet in Ireland for home users and small
>businesses. It has grown mainly out of discussions on the ie.comp newsgroup on
>Usenet. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by any of the Irish ISPs
>(Internet Service Providers) or telecommunications provider companies.
>
>...
>
>[ At a Sunday afternoon get-together in Dublin ] was decided to form a 'user
>action group' which would not only lobby Esat to offer some alternative to
>existing SNL users, but would seek to bring Eircom's behaviour into the public
>arena and lobby ODTR and the government to take effective action that would
>ultimately result in full broadband access.
>
>
>[1] http://www.rte.ie/news/review2000/technology1.html
>
>
>--
>Brendan Kehoe                                               brendan@zen.org
>
>http://www.zen.org/~brendan/



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