Fergus Cassidy

Navel gazing

LET'S not be shy about it. When it comes to Ireland's participation in the information age, there's one aspect to it that we take so seriously that we've become very good at it.

Compiling and releasing reports on telecommunications policy and strategy seems to be second nature these days. If racheting up the tomes and volumes of information counted in the scheme of things, Ireland would be up there with the best of them.

We may have fallen far from the lofty heights of Eurovision Song Contest domination but we're no slouches when it comes to investigations and reports.

It's a great mystery to me, this obsession fact-finding as a prelude to actually doing something about it. Perhaps it's an inherited thing. Passed down through the generations. When chiefs and clan leaders gathered together to try and figure out what was happening, form alliances, snub enemies, and have their say on matters concerning them.

We seem to have the same need to gather the great and the good together, except this time with stenographers to write every word down to prove that it all happened and who said what and about what. It's all compiled into an official report with backgrounds, executive summaries, graphs, tables, charts and the much-derided kitchen sink.

But at least the ancestors then got on with job and actually made some important decisions. Otherwise we'd be eagerly anticipating the next output from the 'Joint Committee on the Proposed Burial Chamber at Newgrange (Vol MMX)'.

When it comes to telecoms policy though we're stuck. Like hamsters in a wheel sustained only by conviction and abiding amnesia.

And off we went again last week, when the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources produced a huge report on broadband infrastructure. The great ability that Ireland has at producing good reports can be seen with this one too. This one is really good. It contains breadth and depth. The committee has gone into the issues in great detail and much of the report shows a clear comprehension of where things stand right now.

Trouble is, most of the facts and conclusions have been known and pointed to again and again.

What is interesting and worthwhile focussing on though, is an open acknowledgement that the market-driven approach has failed. Ireland gave up control of its telecoms network and is now reaping the consequences, which become more pertinent with each passing day.

And apparently we're not the only ones now openly talking about something that was previously unmentionable. All over Europe the same conclusions are being made that the experiment in offloading telecoms networks to the highest bidder has been an unmitigated disaster. It wasn't meant to happen like that, but all that has changed is that privately-owned telephone monopolies have replaced state-owned one.

In Ireland's case, there might well be the satisfaction of having the billions made from the sale of Telecom Eireann in a pension fund for an aging population, but if Ireland doesn't get on top of its communications infrastructure dilemma soon, there'll be a lot of us looking for a pension way way before we're 65.

On the way forward, the broadband report hints at the new reality of conflict when dealing with privately-owned monopolies: "It is unlikely that Ireland is going to be able to develop a national broadband strategy which doesn't adversely effect some commercial or State organisations".

That much is a true and belatedly welcome observation but then there is this: "The delicate balancing act that has to be played out is between the necessity for the incumbent to cover its costs and provide a realistic economic return on their infrastructure". Moving from there, the report refers to an "aggressive carrot and stick approach" in its recommendations.

This is the same old conclusion mentioned in many, many previous reports. And it's nothing short of pandering. If Eircom had shown even a sliver of desire to work with the state, such pandering would have some merit. But this company has consistently given primacy to its own economic health with great zeal. It has taken our pandering and sold it on the stock market (again).

The state is wasting precious time and money throwing carrots around when the horse has bolted. The choice now is either to close the stable door and pray to Saint Jude or take action and commit to an alternative telecoms infrastructure.

Whatever regulatory rule book that existed in telecoms has been ripped to shreds and tossed in our faces by the market so why are we still concerning ourselves with the "economic returns" of these quaintly-named "incumbents".

It's time to face the other direction and do what is necessary to provide "economic returns" for the rest of us.

That would make a change.