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AROUND 95 PER cent of people in Ireland own a TV, a new survey says.
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has published its Consumer ICT survey for 2013, which surveyed 1500 people nationwide.
It found that mobile phones are the most commonly accessed telecommunications services at 97 per cent, while landlines are accessed by 69 per cent of those surveyed.
When it came to the most important factors when using a telecommunications service, consumers ranked cost and service quality highly.
Over half of people said they use a bundle of telecommunications services, while 65 per cent of people living in in urban areas opted for a bundle of services. The most popular bundle is a combination of landline and fixed broadband – but 50 per cent of those surveyed are unaware of the broadband speed they are receiving.
Commissioner Kevin O‟Brien said
The survey reveals that Irish consumers are clearly looking for value for money when choosing a telecommunications service. Household Broadband access is now relatively high at 78 per cent and it is evident that a majority of people regard broadband as a key part of their working, social or educational lives. The survey shows that speed of service is ranked highly by consumers when choosing a service.
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I cannot understand why the Gov do not invest that money into the Air Corp and let them carry out all SAR missions, as it is the AirCorp carry out many missions already.
At least this way the Gov would own the helis etc instead send money out of the state.
@Brian Guilfoyle: Depreciation, maybe? I’d imagine those helis are rugged, because they get a lot of use.
@Brian Guilfoyle: Absolutely 100% agree, the Coast Guard should be more closely integrated into Defence Forces , we have spent the guts of € Billion with CHC. We need to invest in Aer Corps and Navy to deliver a world class Coast Guard and Naval Patrol. Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in terms of Maritime territory is 11 times the size of Ireland. The Government should at this a strategic long term Investment if they are serious about Ireland’s Neutrally or Militarily non -aligned. Our capabilities are really poor when when compared with other “Neutral“ countries.
We need to be position to be able to conduct active 24×7 surveillance & protection of EEZ which contains some the most stratgeic Fibre optic comms between Europe and North America and some of fishing waters on the Globe.
@Brian Guilfoyle: We can’t even operate a basic Defence Force as it is, the thing is falling apart at the seams – plus we need help from the UK to protect our own airspace. Don’t forget the Air Corps ‘weren’t available’ the night of the R116 tragedy either….just another in a long history of unavailability. Can you imagine the current AC doing SAR in all fairness. Sorry to hear your ship is sinking, but the AC “is not available”… The Government is obviously at fault and needs to invest the same if not more into the Defence Forces before it can even ‘consider’ doing SAR. This is a 24-7 role with 98%+ availability, not a ’9 to 5′ jobbie.
@Frank Flanagan: were the Air Corps supposed to be waiting on an emergency that night 116 went down??? Crews are paid to be on duty… CHC had had Crews paid to be in Dublin, Waterford, Shannon and Sligo 24 x 7… that was their contract.. the Air Corps carried out SAR for 42 years prior to politicians awarding th contract to CHC… The Air Corps has been slowly draining since..
I just hope it’s not going to be another taxpayer sponsored service outsourced abroad
@Daniel Dudek:
Or brown envelope job
Service must be working so now it’s going to get broken. Why can’t they just renew the contract with the same people. Has someone got a vested interest here I wonder.
@Dave Barrett: or maybe there’s better aircraft or deal to be had. There’s plenty to moan about with our government but the amount of just baseless conjecture is astonishing. Moaning journal.
It seemed that we in Ireland are hell-bent on outsourcing to private companies making people believe we are getting a better deal… but the reality is we’re not at €670 million… has an average helicopter for this purpose is about €20 million which Air Corps equipped with 4 would only be required…Air Corps is also getting two new C295 SaR aircraft is designed for this purpose…so there is €500 million been wasted by this government.
@PMac: They can buy all the aircraft in the world, but when you haven’t got the qualified staff to operate them, whats the point.
Does anyone know are the crews and helicopters employed by CHC and therefore they will either lose their jobs or have to be rehired, and the machines potentially sent off to some other contract, or is it that this Bristow crew will just step in and crews and helicopters will just keep going pretty much as is with other people managing logistics that kinda thing? Seems mad to dismantle a service that’s already there and get in and train new crews etc potentially. In that case the government should have just bought out CHC Ireland and folded it into the army services. It’s not like we couldn’t afford it, it’s just that we’d probably feck up running it.
@bazhealy: Bristow will have to use their own machines, likely crews also though I imagine the current crews could/will apply for to fill their own positions.
Should be the Aircorps, end of!
@Chutes: thanks Chutes. Yes it should. Without a shadow of a doubt.
Air corps had it before CHC and the crash at Tramore scuppered their chance of getting it..
Probably over the outcome of the accident
Which was pilot error but the insurer
Would not pay out the claims for the 3 deaths of the rest of the crew and the aircraft.
A very messy case indeed .
Bristow operate alot oil rig work etc
Can I ask a question, how
Somebody must have done the maths
have your say