Ireland's Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (DCMNR), is committed to contributing, "to sustained macro-economic growth and competitiveness and [ensuring that] Ireland is best placed to avail of the emerging opportunities provided by the information and knowledge society".
To achieve this the DCMNR wants to ensure universal access to broadband and build a national digital-terrestrial television (DTT) infrastructure. It appointed Analysys Mason Group to help it reach its goals.
Broadband demand
In 2005, the demand for broadband in Ireland grew by around 90% to reach 120,00 lines, but over 10% of the population lives in areas too remote for the commercial provision of broadband. The Government has intervened, providing subsidies where necessary.
Mason Communications and Analysys worked with the national telecom regulator, the Commission for Regulation (ComReg), to advise on the process. Analysys provided research on how this issue was addressed elsewhere and financial modelling for the various options.
Mason’s prime responsibility was to design the National Broadband Scheme, including the identification of appropriate candidates to deploy broadband and overseeing the procurement process.
Mason also advised the DCMNR on the roll-out of DTT and project managed its implementation. The European Commission is proposing that all analogue TV could be switched off across Europe by 2012.
On 16 August 2006, Ireland launched a DTT trial which is expected to last two years and DTT broadcasts will be transmitted from the Three Rock site in Dublin and the Clermont Carn site in County Louth during that time.
The infrastructure is being constructured by BT Ireland, RTE Networks Limited (the national, public broadcaster) and NEC. The second phase of the roll-out began in March 2007, and involves an initial panel of 500 participants.
Content is king
Mason is instrumental in getting content providers on to the infrastructure. They include, RTÉ 1, RTÉ2, TV3, TG4, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2 FM, RTÉ Lyric FM, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and Today FM. Additional content during the trial will come from the following channels: Channel 6, BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News 24, Sky News, Sky Sports 1, Extreme Sports and UKTV History.
These are far-sighted, national schemes that recognise the importance of the digital world and how the different strands – the Internet and TV – are converging. They have huge scope for Ireland and for us.