# query on eircom broadband



## vectra (30 Jan 2010)

We contacted eircom last year to find out if we could get broadband through our telephone line. 

We were advised that we couldn't as our local exchange had to be updated. 

However, our phone lines went down at Christmas time due to bad weather and we and our neighbours rang eircom to report the fault. Eircom came and fixed our neighbours phone line first and then 3 days later fixed ours. We have since discovered that our neighbours have now eircom broadband coming in through their phone line. 

When i asked our neighbours about this they didn't say much. We are now wondering how this was done. There seems to be a new white box on the pole outside our house would this have something got to do with it? 

I am annoyed at this as i had an option to work from home last year and in order to do it we had to have eircom broadband coming through our telephone line. 

When i explained this to eircom they advised me that there was no way we could be connected unless in time the exchange was updated. 

I have checked our phone number on eircom.net and we still don't have broadband through our telephone line as most of our other neighbours don't, just the one neighbour. So i don't think eircom have updated the local exchange

hope somebody can shed some light on this for me

thanks


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## mrblues (30 Jan 2010)

Are you sure the broadband your neighbour has is coming via the phoneline? There are many providers that use wireless, cable or mobile network to deliver it. Do you have NTL/UPC in your area as they have very good service and costs without needing the phoneline at all as its delivered via the tv cable.


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## Pee (30 Jan 2010)

If the exchange isn't updated for BB then the neighbour cant have BB from eircom unless they are served from a different exchange.

Re. the repair time, who's line was reported first?


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## vectra (30 Jan 2010)

thanks for answers. neighbours don't have cable tv.  the only provider we have is 02 mobile broadband which we all had and it works well.  its just curosity really to know by what means they have of getting eircom and they were not willing to give me information on it when i asked them. when i checked their number on eircom.net it says that eircom broadband is available on their line. i know that we are working off the same exchange. i will ring eircom on monday and see what the story is.

thanks


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## vectra (30 Jan 2010)

lines were reported on the same day.  it was actually i that rang eircom and reported the fault for both their line and our line


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## ajapale (30 Jan 2010)

vectra said:


> When i asked our neighbours about this they didn't say much. We are now wondering how this was done. There seems to be a new white box on the pole outside our house would this have something got to do with it?



Yes it does! It seems to me that Eircom have provided your neighbours with a radio based broadband (fixed wireless access) ie not through the phone lines. The "A4" sized white box is the radio transmitter/receiver.




			
				EircomWebsite said:
			
		

> Fixed Wireless Access Overview   The Internet explosion caused a surge in demand for new  telecommunication services.  Network operators use wireless as means to provide services when  classical copper  or fiber lines are too costly, too congested, or simply unavailable.
> Fixed wireless is an ideal technology for providing high-speed Internet  ( _data, voice and video_ ) services to business and residential  subscribers.  Fixed wireless broadband uses the 2 GHz to 42 GHz frequency bands. Fixed  wireless  has however been slow to develop and deploy, and remains a distant third  to cable  modem access and DSL in total number of broadband subscribers. Some of  the challenges  in its deployment include technology standardization, developing a  broader base of  hardware manufacturers, and continuing the trend toward consolidation  among fixed  wireless service providers. Also, reliability is severely impacted by  inclement  weather - where in foggy or stormy conditions the signal is distorted,  thus forcing  vendors to locate transmitters closer to each other
> Fixed wireless systems use a small, inexpensive microwave antenna that  is attached to  a radio at the customer premises. The Customer Premise Equipment (CPE)  is pointed back  to the ISPs Access Point (AP)-typically a tall building or radio  tower-to create a  Wireless Local Loop (WLL). As an unfamiliar, unknown, totally un-hyped  form of broadband  service, fixed wireless Internet access is distinctly different from the  aforementioned  wired services by its potential transport speed of and  affordability-among other features.
> FWA ( _Fixed Wireless Access communication systems_ ) are  considered to be part of  the PCS ( _Personal Communication Services_ ), as a replacement for  and enhancement  of traditional wireline services. FWA are also often called WACS ( _Wireless  Access  Communication Systems_ ), RLL or WLL (Radio/Wireless in the Local  Loop). Standard  organizations are currently involved in establishing and investigating  various technical  solutions for FWA [1-9].
> These systems are useful in places where wireline telephone access  solutions are impractical,  expensive or temporary. More and more manufacturers and operators are  considering FWA in order  to enhance regular services (mainly bypass operators) and to provide  better, cheaper and more  flexible services. The main principle of these systems is to connect  end-users to the telephone  network via wireless radio links, which are allocated to them when  required. This is in contrast  to regular wireline end-users, where the reserved wireline to the  end-user guarantees a free  channel to each end-user. FWA therefore performs a kind of  resource-switching by allocating  channels (lines) to end-users per request, rather than by providing all  users with resources  to access the network.



and from boards.ie 
*eircom wireless  broadband – “Sssh it's a secret” says ComReg
and aam.com
*New phone line conection by radio signal? What  exactly is this?


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## vectra (30 Jan 2010)

i knew that there had to be something to this.  we think a local fella working for eircom had carried out this handy work and hench the hush hush about it when questioned.  i will be defiently getting onto eircom on monday


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## ajapale (30 Jan 2010)

I would guess the hush hush has more to do with the perception that if more people get the FW BB then the service will diminish and contention will increase. It a bit like when you discover a quick "rat run" to work .. you are not about to broadcast the fact to your neighbours!

Also I wonder if Eircom have a licence for this in your area?


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