However bad things are in Ireland in relation to our broadband speeds - things are even worse in Iran. According to the Guardian, the government there has ordered all ISPs to limit Internet speeds to 128kb. This is in an effort to:
make it more difficult to download foreign music, films and television programmes, which the authorities blame for undermining Islamic culture among the younger generation. It will also impede efforts by political opposition groups to organise by uploading information on to the net.
Iran also has some of the most stringent filters blocking Internet sites into the country - almost as bad as China’s infamous Great Firewall of China.
Having said that, I know several people in Ireland who’d love if they could get speeds of 128kb ‘cos they are stuck with 44kb dialup.
If Iran is really serious about reducing the speeds of access for its citizens, I suggest they hire in the expertise of Ireland’s Minister for Broadband Suppression and Ireland’s Telecom’s Regulator Isolde Goggin who have successfully managed to keep Ireland at the bottom of the international broadband leagues for years now
I wrote a post not so long ago about the state of broadband worldwide and how poorly served we are in Ireland. I showed a table of broadband speeds and prices worldwide - based on the table the average broadband speed was 18mb for 44 US$ per month.
However, Lupan, a Japanese reader commented on the post correcting the figure for Japan. His broadband is 100mb for the equivalent of €25 per month!
Incredible, my own connection is 3mb for €50 per month and that’s good compared to many in Ireland.
If i lived in Japan I could get 33 times the speed for half the price I pay in Ireland.
Unbelievable.
Noel Dempsey, our minister for broadband suppression should take up thumb twiddling or some other pastime equally suited to his (in)abilities.
This is the face in incompetence in Ireland. This is the face of Ireland’s Minister for broadband suppression.
This is the face of the minister of communications in Ireland who has presided over Ireland’s languishing:
14th in the EU15 for broadband penetration. That’s the same place we were in 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 etc. etc.
Congratulations minister. Under-achievers everywhere bow down before you in awe.
[Update] - Just came across this great site about the minister.
Damien posted the following table of international broadband data from the ITU
Notice Japan has 50mb broadband for less than $32 per month?
According to Damien the comparable Irish figures are:
eircom broadband business plus - 4MB - €107.69 inc vat
eircom broadband business enhanced - 5MB - €204 inc vat
Digiweb Metro Plus - 5MB - €78.65
Digiweb Metro Xpress - 8Mb - €163.35
The Irish minister for communications broadband suppression should be shot or at least fired for gross incompetence.
We (my family and I) are heading off to Spain (on a house swap holiday) so there will be no posting to this blog for a couple of weeks (the house we are getting doesn’t have broadband)!
Don’t anyone turn off the Internet while I’m gone!!!
ComReg is the Irish telecoms poodle as opposed to the Irish Telecoms regulator which is what they claim to be! This is the organisation which has presided over Ireland being one of the most expensive countries in Europe for broadband and consequently Ireland having one of the lowest rates of uptake for broadband in Europe.
As a regulator, ComReg is worse than useless because they do nothing to help the rollout of broadband and thus are part of the problem.
So when you get the telecoms regulator rolling over every time Eircom says “boo!” you know you have a telecoms poodle not a regulator.
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