Eircom needs to make a faster connection

IN the course of my work as a Japanese translator, I stumbled across an interesting market research survey of the readers of a certain Japanese magazine.

The question which caught my eye was about internet connection. Of 400 or so respondents, 53% have broadband, 33% have fibre optic connection (a super-fast internet connection that most Irish people probably don’t even know exists), 4% have ISDN and, most interestingly, only 4% still have dial-up connection.

I am sick and tired of hearing Eircom going on and on about their pathetic 512k broadband (which isn’t even available in my neighbourhood) as if it’s the new tomorrow. When will they look around them and finally realise how risible their service really is.

When I heard about the possibility that Eircom may be taken over by Swisscom, I hoped the Swiss might come in and teach Eircom what you have to do to become a modern phone company.

However, I can’t get away from the nagging suspicion that what we might end up with is Irish service at Swiss prices.

Jonathan Baum

53 Dargle Road

Blackrock

Co Dublin