Welcome to my first and hopefully not my last blog!
On the back of winning the concession for Phase 2 of the MANs, we’ve embarked on a whistle-stop tour of the country visiting and engaging with the relevant Local Authorities. One thing that has really surprised me is the huge difference in understanding and expectations key stakeholders have about the project. A number believe that the MANs are not being utilised and are a waste of money, and are in effect a “White Elephant”. Another group see the MANs as a telecoms magic bullet that will solve all local broadband issues, the “Great White Hope”.
So what’s the truth? In reality, neither position is true. The MANs are categorically not a waste of money but nor will they answer all the broadband requirements in any MAN town.
Let me explain. I strongly disagree with the stance that the MANs are “White Elephants”. e|net have been managing the network for over 5 years and in that time it’s obvious that the existence of a MAN has a major impact on boosting the range, quality and importantly the value of communications solutions in the area being served. Also and significantly, the MANs have also removed a major barrier to foreign direct investment in MAN enabled towns – 70% of all IDA jobs created in 2008 were in MAN-enabled towns.
On the other hand, the MANs were never conceived as channels to deliver ubiquitous broadband. The MAN infrastructure is a classic middle-mile infrastructure, providing a very high-quality link between Ireland’s national telecoms network and the range of last-mile or access technologies such as mobile broadband, WiMax or LLU. This again is borne out by the reality of the situation. We now have 35 telco’s trading with us and accommodate a wide range of operating models and access technologies, each working successfully in tandem with the MANs.
Finally, remember, just because you don’t have a direct fibre connection to the MAN doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit from it. In fact, it’s common for end users to be benefiting from the network without even realising it.
I’m interested to know what your thoughts are, so feel free to leave your comments below.
