Fergus Cassidy

Lines man

TO go by the television and radio ads it would seem that there is no need for an organisation to fight for decent internet connectivity. Not so, said Damien Mulley, chairman of IrelandOffline, when I spoke to him last week.

FC: You've been chairman of IrelandOffline (IOFFL) over the past year. Is the organisation satisfied with the progress being made to modernise Ireland's telecoms infrastructure?
DM: I'm afraid not. There have been many different plans telling the government what needs to be done and so far they have all but been ignored.
  Meanwhile we hover at second last place in Europe for broadband uptake. It's not just broadband though, to this day people in Ireland are not even entitled to a dial-up internet connection. We're the runt of Europe.

With the amount of current media advertising for broadband, it would seem that internet access is no longer a major issue. Yet Ireland Offline is busier than ever. Why is that?
We are indeed saturated with broadband ads yet the stark reality is that only 60% of people in the Republic can avail of it. Contrast that to the North where anyone who wants broadband can get it.
  Two thirds of calls and emails we get are about broadband availability. We've managed to figure out ways to get some of these people broadband but many still have to go without and get more annoyed by the day with all the ads telling them that nothing is stopping them.

You devote time to lobbying various agencies and government. Are doors more open than they were previously? Are you offered tea and biscuits?
Let's just say, we always got the tea but now we're getting the biscuits. It took a lot of work since July 2004 to get where we are now.
  Last year one organisation used the phrase "cold day in hell" when we asked for a meeting. This year they came to us for our opinion.
  Just recently we met with the EU Information Society and they were very genuine in hearing the views of consumers.

If the Taoiseach appointed you minister for communications, what would be the heading on your first memo?
Just three words - Broadband for All. There is no excuse as to why anyone who wants broadband cannot get it in 2005. The Celtic Tiger showed Ireland can compete and outgun the best in the world. We can use the same drive to get broadband for everyone.

Your organisation has become a first port of call for those looking for information or people with connectivity problems. Has that side of your work increased?
Indeed it has. We all hear the press releases about the number of people signing up for broadband every week, but what you don't hear are those who tried to sign up but were turned down.
  A lot of these people end up talking to Ireland Offline since nobody else wants to know. We do our best to help out with our limited resources but a government organisation should be doing this.

Is there a danger of a broadband divide emerging with rural areas being left behind cities and towns?
Right now it's claimed any town with a population greater than 1500 can avail of broadband. However a large percentage of Irish people still live in towns and villages with populations less than 1500.
  That's one divide but there is another unseen one. Even in the most built up cities the broadband line failure rate is 20-25% causing many in the big cities to also go without.

You released survey results last year which placed Ireland very low down the list in terms of broadband in Europe. The placing was disputed. Is it difficult to get accurate and up to date information on broadband penetration in Ireland?
When official results come out on broadband uptake you'd need code breakers to figure out what they mean. We have petitioned for raw data to be released because one can't put a spin on that.
  Our pricing league table was disputed as you mentioned but so far we were the only ones to release such a table to compare our prices with Europe. Nobody else dares do it as it would be too embarrassing.

What do you think of the recent suggestion that lack of computers in homes has slowed down broadband take-up?
It's the excuse du jour. It upsets me greatly that taxpayers money is spent on finding excuses and not finding solutions. It has nothing to do with lack of computers or the other excuse - lack of demand.
  It is to do with four out of ten homes not being able to get broadband - either due to poor phone lines or their telephone exchange not being upgraded.

In terms of funding, how does IOFFL manage?
Our accounts can be done on the back of a box of matches. We have no real costs as everyone operates from home. Our committee meetings are mostly done online.
  We talk a heck of a lot via email and we interact with the public using our discussion forum and our IRC [internet relay chat] channel. The only big cost is room rental for the AGM and our members chip in for that.

That AGM is coming up soon. If the minister for communications walked in, what would the meeting say to him?
I think a lot of people would want to have a word or two. People would ask why their lines are not capable of carrying broadband, why the regulator and the department of communications don't seem too bothered about it.
  I think they'd also want to know why they are paying the highest line rental in the EU and still get shoddy service and why just up the road in the North they live in a broadband paradise.

IOFFL has a detailed survey currently running on moving from dial-up to broadband. What do you hope to get from this?
We put a lot of work into the 2005 survey and worked with a lot of people in the telco industry on this.
We are trying to end the myths about there being a lack of demand for broadband. From all the people contacting us we know a lot of people want broadband and cannot get it. We want to see what are the main reasons why this is so. The survey is here.

Finally, would you care to put a time on when IOFFL can pack up and go home?
I wish I could say 12-24 months but with current attitudes of those who can make the needed changes it could be a long long while. When we are confident that a plan is in place to get Broadband for All then we can all move on.

The IrelandOffline AGM is on Saturday 10 September in Buswell's Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (opposite the front entrance to the Dail), starting at 2pm. All are welcome.