Broadband Hotspots In LOI Grounds

**Battery Rover** · 01/05/2008, 3:36 PM

Couple of questions on this.

Which grounds have Eircom Broadband hotspots available?
How much does it cost to get this enabled in a ground?

We have a broadband enabled line in the ground but the guy I was chatting to seemed to think that we would need two lines enabled so we would have to pay for our office broadband which I share out for matches anyways and then pay €780 a year for the hotspot. This would only ever be used on match days. This is different info to what I was told by another guy.

Reason I am asking this is that I am trying for ages now to get one in our ground and I am just getting pushed round in circles by Eircom and even our local Eircom guy that looks after the stadium lines hasn't got an idea on how to go about it.

Any help appreciated?

**Dodge** · 01/05/2008, 3:46 PM

I thought it was a requirement for all grounds to have a "media centre" with wifi. I'd presume eircom, as league sponsors, would help provide this

Obviously no help to you...

**MariborKev** · 01/05/2008, 3:53 PM

We have launched our own online commentary for all the City games home and away. This can be found on www.blogtalkradio.com/icandy.

We had planned on using the hotspots as like Dodge, I thought it was a requirement. However we rapidly had to go to a Plan B as the coverage was never guaranteed.

Dalyer and the Brandywell definately have hotspots.

**pineapple stu** · 01/05/2008, 4:08 PM

The Bowl does I think, but certainly Belfield Park's connection was iffy at best. The Bowl could well be similar.

**Battery Rover** · 01/05/2008, 4:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

I thought it was a requirement for all grounds to have a "media centre" with wifi. I'd presume eircom, as league sponsors, would help provide this

Very hard find anyone in Eircom with knowledge as to whether we have to pay €84.70 a month which I have now been told by another eircom salesman or is it part of the Eircom sponsorship deal.

Just rang the FAI and hopefully they get back to me when they are finished with Trappotoni

**Guitd** · 01/05/2008, 4:17 PM

Originally Posted by Battery Rover

Couple of questions on this.

Which grounds have Eircom Broadband hotspots available?
How much does it cost to get this enabled in a ground?

We have a broadband enabled line in the ground but the guy I was chatting to seemed to think that we would need two lines enabled so we would have to pay for our office broadband which I share out for matches anyways and then pay €780 a year for the hotspot. This would only ever be used on match days. This is different info to what I was told by another guy.

Reason I am asking this is that I am trying for ages now to get one in our ground and I am just getting pushed round in circles by Eircom and even our local Eircom guy that looks after the stadium lines hasn't got an idea on how to go about it.

Any help appreciated?

Terryland park is an eircom hotspot with wifi at no cost to club as its part of the eircom sponsorship deal with tha league

**BrayUnknowns** · 01/05/2008, 4:25 PM

Bray defo has it...

i'm pretty sure eircom provided all eL grounds with it free of charge as a part of their sponsorship deal. Maybe get onto the FAI about it and check it out.

**pól-dcfc** · 01/05/2008, 4:39 PM

Originally Posted by BrayUnknowns

Bray defo has it...

i'm pretty sure eircom provided all eL grounds with it free of charge as a part of their sponsorship deal. Maybe get onto the FAI about it and check it out.

Wasn't working a couple of weeks ago for Kev.

**passerrby** · 01/05/2008, 5:29 PM

iF you are broadband enabled then all you should need is a booaster or router extention this should sent your broadband signal around the ground then anybody who requires access just gets the keyword off your event controller or press officer.

**finnpark** · 01/05/2008, 6:13 PM

Originally Posted by Battery Rover

Couple of questions on this.

Which grounds have Eircom Broadband hotspots available?
How much does it cost to get this enabled in a ground?

We have a broadband enabled line in the ground but the guy I was chatting to seemed to think that we would need two lines enabled so we would have to pay for our office broadband which I share out for matches anyways and then pay €780 a year for the hotspot. This would only ever be used on match days. This is different info to what I was told by another guy.

Reason I am asking this is that I am trying for ages now to get one in our ground and I am just getting pushed round in circles by Eircom and even our local Eircom guy that looks after the stadium lines hasn't got an idea on how to go about it.

Any help appreciated?

Answer is simple: The cost of a router. Yer man is talking rubbish. Daylight robbery.

Personally i use Three mobile broadband which is very good for urban areas. You can bring it anywhere.

You could set up a wireless broadband using your existing broadband and a router and set up accounts. €50+ cost of broadband.

**finnpark** · 01/05/2008, 6:15 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

iF you are broadband enabled then all you should need is a booaster or router extention this should sent your broadband signal around the ground then anybody who requires access just gets the keyword off your event controller or press officer.

exactly but obviously the other guy was trying to make some more money

**A face** · 01/05/2008, 7:47 PM

Originally Posted by Battery Rover

Very hard find anyone in Eircom with knowledge as to whether we have to pay €84.70 a month which I have now been told by another eircom salesman or is it part of the Eircom sponsorship deal.

Just rang the FAI and hopefully they get back to me when they are finished with Trappotoni

Dont listen to an eircom League sales man, because he is trying to make a sale. Its the guy who deals with the eircom sponsorship that you need to talk to. He/she should also have a counterpart in the FAI.

Did you say you mentioned this to your ericom League representative and you got no results? Who is your rep?

**A face** · 01/05/2008, 7:52 PM

Originally Posted by finnpark

Answer is simple: The cost of a router. Yer man is talking rubbish. Daylight robbery.

He is not on about a router, he is on about an access point which normally go for €1000 one off sale, so €780 is a good price, but every year? Are you sure thats right?

**A face** · 01/05/2008, 8:17 PM

AFAIK The Cross has a hotspot. They used to supply cards that had temporary access but i think that has changed. Now if you have an eircom account you can access it. Can anyone confirm is this the case in other grounds?

**TonyD** · 01/05/2008, 8:20 PM

Originally Posted by Battery Rover

Just rang the FAI and hopefully they get back to me when they are finished with Trappotoni

So, that's a couple of years then

**Gareth** · 01/05/2008, 10:11 PM

Some clubs have hotspots some don't. Some have capibilities but routers are broken, not in place, others have them working fine. I have used them over the years with varying success. They were rolled out to all Premier division clubs a few years ago, and I use to keep an eye on the tolka one. Clubs were assigned liaison officers. I'd love if all grounds could have working hotspots, and the way the league has improved, I suspect this will be the case sooner rather than later.

Hotspots can be accessed thru a yearly subscription, or thru purchasing time via the page that loads on your browser when you are near a hotspot. You can buy 30 minutes, an hour , 24 hours etc. Alot of telephone boxes in Dublin City Center are hotspots, and they work with a decent level of success. I have been using the service since its inception.

**SligoBrewer** · 01/05/2008, 10:49 PM

There is Eircom Hotspot coverage in the Showgrounds but the reception is dodgy and it's from a local hotel.

Otherwise none.

**A face** · 01/05/2008, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Gareth

Some clubs have hotspots some don't. Some have capibilities but routers are broken, not in place, others have them working fine. I have used them over the years with varying success. They were rolled out to all Premier division clubs a few years ago, and I use to keep an eye on the tolka one. Clubs were assigned liaison officers. I'd love if all grounds could have working hotspots, and the way the league has improved, I suspect this will be the case sooner rather than later.

Its not a very professional league if something as basic as this is not in place, end of.

Hotspots can be accessed thru a yearly subscription, or thru purchasing time via the page that loads on your browser when you are near a hotspot. You can buy 30 minutes, an hour , 24 hours etc. Alot of telephone boxes in Dublin City Center are hotspots, and they work with a decent level of success. I have been using the service since its inception.

So whats the story, eircom rolled it out free of charge as part of the sponsorship and/or free usage of it on match days? Do people still have to pay for this service even when its up and running?

**Gareth** · 02/05/2008, 7:03 AM

a face, I have never heard of this service being free to anyone except eircom broadband customers who get a free login until September. It has always been a pay service to use in clubs, and the clubs in the beginning anyhow where given "scratch cards" to sell or give to people with a code on them giving limited access.

Clubs may have broadband in their offices but this is not a hotspot. If I am not mistaken as part of sposnorship the clubs get this service free. Don't confuse the office WEP encrypted broadband with the public hotspot in the press boxes.

**KianD** · 02/05/2008, 8:23 AM

Originally Posted by A face

He is not on about a router, he is on about an access point which normally go for €1000 one off sale, so €780 is a good price, but every year? Are you sure thats right?

€1000?

Don't want to deal with your salesman...

I've installed outdoor weather protected access points for less than that price before. Mostly older types that required providing your own wireless radio - a Lucent ORiNOCO laptop card generally.