1. Broadband Broadband providers for SME’s in Ireland

2. What is Broadband? Broadband is a term that is used consistently with different types of internet connections. Generally, it is referred to Internet connections over fiber optic cables rather than telephone lines. Broadband in telecommunications means a wide range of frequencies that are available to transmit information.

3. Local Companies Providing Broadband Access Eircom Magnet Business and Chorus Clearwire Digiweb Smart Telecom BT

4. About Eircom The company was formed in 1984 under Bord Telecom Eireann under the Posts and Telecommunications Act 1983. Eircom was privatised in 1995. They are Ireland’s largest telecommunications supplier. Eircom have recently announced they will be releasing their latest and fastest consumer broadband product which offers download speeds up to 24 Mbps and upload speeds of 786Kbps.

5. Eircom continued… CEO of Eircom Paul Donovan had this to say about their new product ; “This is an important first step as the company moves to offer new innovative broadband products that will offer greater speed and capacity for new and existing wholesale and retail customers.”

6. About Magnet Business and Chorus Magnet launched its first services in December 2004. It focuses on delivering contention-free broadband through fibre and ADSL2+ technology. It has thelargest fibre network in Ireland and the UKand was available in over 11,000 homes in Dublin, Laois and Meath by the end of 2008. Magnet Newtwork consists of two divisions which are Magnet Business and Magnet Entertainment.

7. About Clearwire Founded in October 2003. It provides a reliable, wireless high-speed internet service. With their headquarters in Washington they offer their services in over 40 US markets including over 1 million people in Ireland and Belgium. They guarantee next day delivery after purchase and easy to install wireless broadband.

8. About Digiweb Digiweb was founded in 1997 with their head offices in Dublin. Not only do they provide broadband access but also a number of things such as; enterprise data networks, data centre and web hosting services, managed services and telephony to residential, business and public sector customers. Digiweb and Smart Telecom joined in December 2009. Smart has a national reach and operates the only ‘Next Generation Network’ (‘NGN’) in the country making it Ireland’s fastest broadband provider.

9. About Smart Telecom Smart Telecom started first in Ireland in the year 2000. It is an Irish telecom service provider. Considering how young it is, it had had great success in Business, Government and Residential markets. Smart offers the only Next Generation Network allowing you to enjoy voice, data and video services nationwide.

10. About BT Employing over 3,000 people it operates across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Its main activities include; IT and networking services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services. It consistes principally of three main lines of business; BT Retail, BT Wholesale and BT Global Service.

11. Type of Telecommunication service they provide and how they provide it Eircom: Bord Telecom Eireann -> offers Business Bundles, Eircom mobile for Business, Internet security, DSL mail backup, service and maintenance packages to name but a few for Businesses or homes. Magnet Business and Chorus: Columbia Ventures Corporation (CVC) and Industria -> free broadband, voice service, secure internet access, competitive rates.

12. Continued… Clearwire: Clearwire/Sprint Nextel ->ClearStart: fast online banking service, shopping etc. ClearFreedom: fast download of music/photo’s. ClearPerformer: online fast. ClearBusiness: Wi-Fi wireless enabling. Digiweb: Digiweb -> Voice and broadband, satellite broadband, website builder, SME Business solutions.

13. Continued… Smart Telecom: Smart Telecom -> Broadband and phone; Optional Wi-Fi, free technical support, static IP address (1 inc.), 24 Mb down/1Mb up. BT: BT telecommunications group -> Business broadband, IT services, network security, Business continuity management.

14. Business Rates Eircom: Unlimited Call Plan - €32.99 per month or a 3Mb Broadband package Bundle for €52.99 per month Magnet Business and Chorus: Broadband price ranges from € 45 to €15 Clearwire: ClearStart; €24.95, ClearFreedom; €29.95, ClearPerformer; €39.95, ClearBusiness; €79.95

15. Rates Continued… Digiweb: Business starter which includes a certain amount of minutes for national and local calls and high-speed internet access; € 99.99 per month. Business Plus is the same but with more minutes; €165.99 Smart Telecom: 24 Mb for; €24.00 BT: Static IP; Free. Connection Fee; Free. Up to 1Mbps Broadband; €20.00 Up to 7.6 Mbps Broadband; €40.00. Up to 24Mbps (Megabytes per second) for online software and file management; €40.00.

16. International Broadband Provider Telefonica: This is one of the worlds largest telecommunication companies which began in 1924. Its main activity is centered around fixed landlines and mobile phone business however the broadband Business is a key driver underpinning both. It operates in 25 countries and its customer base exceeds 268.6 million globally.

17. Telefonica continued… It has a strong foothold in Spain, Europe and Latin America, the areas where it focuses its growth. The company has the most international profiles in the sector with more than 60% of its business outside its home market. It has 205.88 million mobile phones accesses and 14.94 million Internet and data accesses. Telefonica launches over 600 products and services year.

18. What Telefonica’s offers Flat rates and semi flat rates for mobile internet in Spain, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, etc. Broadband upgrades throughout the regions in which Telefónica operates. New bundles like Total Broadband, Satellite Trio in Venezuela, etc. More than 45,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable, providing connectivity between Latin America, the US and Europe. One critisizm about this company is it is very hard to find its rates unless you arrange to buy from them.

19. Telefonic’s Key Figures More than 228 million customer accesses. More than 10 million Broadband accesses. Present in 24 countries. Over 56.4 billion euro’sin revenues. More than 63% of revenues are from outside Spain.

20. Clients Choice: Clearwire Website is helpful, easy to use. Affordable costs for broadband. Send somebody from their company to install packages. Hassel free. Fast download speed which my graphic design company needs as we share large files with clients on a daily basis which require fast download and upload speed.

21. Use of multi-media in the arts Artspace Artspace was formed as an artist’s collective by a group of Galway-based artists in 1986. The priority was to develop studio space for professional artists and to support group and individual work and exhibitions. It provides and maintains quality studio space for our current artists They increase facilities, services, resources and information for the group

22. Artspace continued… Artspace relys just as much on the multi-media side of things to engage the art with a digital sense of style. Some of its facilities include; Aprint room with printing press, a fully equipped dark room, a multi-media room with iMac, final cut pro and scanner as well as digitalSLR, camcorder, tripod, Dell computer with broadband internet access etc. It is helped with funding from the Arts Council.