2. What type of telecommunications companies are they?

3. What medium of communication do they use to provide the service?

4. Outline of 4-6 options available.

5. Outline of the technical specifications of each option.

6. What are their business rates?

7. Outline of the full range of costs involved.

8. Identify one option that suits your business needs the best and give reasons for your choice.

10. Population of 139835 people.

11. 79 registered crafts people with the Crafts Council of Ireland (31/12/2009)

12. 40% located in rural areas

13. Situated in the South East province of Munster.

14. Facing the Atlantic is has many peninsulas, inlets.

15. It is one of the most mountainous regions in Ireland.

16. The latest statistics from Forfás show that 90% of internet connections are broadband based and that new connections, which continue to progress steadily, are to be welcomed.

17. Unfortunately, the amount of connections is no longer as important as the speed of those connections.

18. Both foreign hi-tech international companies and domestic start-ups require fast broadband to be able to operate and compete from Kerry.

19. The fact that only 5% of Irish broadband can offer speeds above 10Mb/s compared to other leading EU countries such as Portugal (47%), Belgium (45%) or Sweden (34.5%) leaves us at a huge competitive disadvantage.

21. Kerry Broadband

22. Imagine WiMax Kerry & Irish Broadband

23. Abb Telecom

24. Iveragh Broadband

26. PermaNET

27. Digiweb

28. Eircom Broadband

29. Vodafone

30. Telefonica 02 Ireland

31. UPC

33. Kerry Broadband offers a high speed internet connection via wireless technology to communities and businesses in Kerry who cannot receive ADSL or cable.

34. WiMax means Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access: a 4G wireless technology allowing Irish consumers to avail of a quality home phone and internet service with no line rental charge

35. ABB Telecom are agents in Ireland for Astra2Connect (A2C) provided by Ses-Astra – a satellite broadband system that provides broadband, telephone and tv from the same satellite dish.

36. Iveragh Broadband is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that provides wireless broadband internet access.

37. Strensom provide Cloud Services & Innovative Data and Internet Solutions.

39. PermaNET offers fixed wireless broadband

40. Digiweb offer satellite and DSL broadband packages

41. Eircom

42. Vodafone offers fixed line & wireless, and mobile broadband

43. O2 offers fixed line & wireless, and mobile broadband

44. UPC offers the fastest congestion free Fibre Power Broadband in Ireland. Through the use of a cable modem you can access a broadband internet connection that is designed to work over HFC network. This works by using TV channel space for transferring data upstream and downstream.

47. Examples - Digiweb, WiMax and ABB Telecom

50. Examples: VoIP and Internet Services Ltd - Broadband Internet Cork and Kerry (LLU)

51. Fibre Optic Technology: uses fine glass or plastic fibers to transmit data.

52. Examples: Available in limited areas – metropolitan, light industrial, business and technology parks

53. The Choices How do you choose and what best suits you? Business can purchase a combination of all of the internet attributes (as listed above) where a Service Provider can provide a “one-stop-shop-solution” in a package/bundle. A more discriminating or knowledgeable business user may purchase individual portions of their requirements from different suppliers for example have separate contracts for the mobile telephony requirement to their internet requirements to their internet requirement etc. It is recommended that due to the high demand users have two packages so that if one is down or slow this can be accommodated while running a business.

55. Kerry Broadband (FWA)

56. VoIP and Internet Services Ltd - Broadband Internet Cork and Kerry (LLU)

57. Vodafone (DSL & NWA)

58. O2 (DSL & NWA)

62. Mobile broadband (NWA), e.g. dongles

63. Insurance

64. Extra bundles/packages including landline and mobile local, national and international calls

65. Backup add ons

66. Licenses

67. Decision Time Identify one option that suits your business needs the best and give reasons for your choice. The best option is Eircom DSL due to competitive service, speed and cost with fast, always-on internet access. It is the most likely choice unless you happen to live somewhere remote, or don't have a phone line. It is possible to use the landline while surfing. The next option is Kerry Broadband FWA if Eircom does not service your area. Finally Vodafone Mobile Broadband offers the last option for remote areas without any of the above options.