Posted: 13th Mar, 2003 By: MarkJ
Ireland's telecoms regulator, ComReg, has reported that Irish Internet penetration rose by 4% to a total 40% last year (2002), yet broadband growth continues to be stifled:
Using a normal telephone line is the principal means of connecting to the Internet for the vast majority of users. Overall use of the Internet is therefore expected to increase noticeably with the introduction of unmetered dial-up Internet access, which would let users connect to the Net over a normal telephone line for a set monthly fee. Unmetered access is expected by June.
The use of ISDN, a digital telephone line that offers faster Internet access than a standard line, rose by nearly a third during the year, but take-up of super-high-speed services using DSL technology is still low in absolute terms. ComReg said that while DSL orders rose by 74% during the quarter, just 3,300 DSL lines have been ordered in Ireland.
ComReg noted that just 20% of DSL lines are attributable to telcos other than Eircom; it said that lower prices were essential for the expansion of DSL, and price cuts are expected shortly.More @
ElectricNews .