New Media Technologies

Broadband Infrastructure

Internet Access

IPhone Smartphone ready webpages

Social Media – Facebook

Email

Laptop Webpages

Videos

Podcasts

Broadband Providers Available In My Area

Sky

UPC

Imagine WiMax

Mobile Broadband:

O2

Three

Meteor

Vodafone

Sky Sky Broadband Unlimited & Talk Freetime

Speed: Up to 24mb

Download: Unlimited

Contract: 12 Months

Monthly Cost: € 30 a month (for first 4 months, then € 40 a month after)

Extras: Includes Sky Hub, Sky’s new wireless router, free set-up and technical support based in Dublin

30 day guarantee: customer can cancel subscription for free within the first 30 days

All you will need: Active compatible Eircom phone line and UAN (Universal Account Number)

(“Uswitch,” n.d.)

UPC

UPC Fibre Power 120 – Limited + Anywhere 150

Broadband speed: Up to 50mb Download / 5mb Upload

Downloads: 30GB

Contract 12 months

Monthly Cost: € 37

Extras: Free wireless modem (new customers only)

Set-up cost: € 45 (once off charge)

No telephone line require and no line rental fee

(“Uswitch,” n.d.)

UPC UPC Horizon Max Bundle

Broadband Speed: up to 200mb Download / 15mb Upload

Downloads: Unlimited

Contract: 12 months

Monthly Cost: € 50 (for first 6 months, € 80 a month after)

Extras: Free set-up & installation

TV & Television: Free calls anytime; Local and National

400 minutes of selected international calls

Over 100 Channels

Can record 4 channels at one time and watch a fifth (“Uswitch,” n.d.)

What is WiMax and How it Works?

Video by Andy Abramson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2MAtRRfx8&list=PL6D14AD2104D5BE40

(AriZoldanWimax, 2008)

Imagine

Imagine 10mb WiMax & Calls

Broadband Speed: Up to 10mb Download / 512kb Upload

Download: Unlimited (Subject to fair usage policy WIFI enabled)

Contract: 12 months

Monthly cost: € 19

Extras: 4G WiMax Broadband, € 25 discount connection for all students and no line rental charge

Set-up cost: € 100 (once off charge)

Phone: Unlimited Local and National calls and Calls to 30 top international destinations for 3c a minute

(“Uswitch,” n.d.)

Fixed (Wired) Broadband UPC Fibre Power and Horizon Max Bundle

UPC’s main product: Cable Television Service

Broadband connection is established through the use of a cable modem

Fibre to the home: The fibre cable is piped directly into your home.

Fibre to the building or cabinet: Fibre cable installed from exchange neighbourhood/apartment telecoms cabinet, rolling out fibre close to home and reducing length improves speeds

April 2013: Horizon TV service – able to watch a selection of TV channels from internet enabled devices using UPC broadband connection

August 2013: Horizon HD+ - HD as standard and consolidates all services (TV, Broadband & Home Phone) into one device, also allows to record 4 programmes at once and watch a 5th

(“UPC Ireland,” 2013)

Wireless Broadband

Imagine 10mb WiMax & Calls

Main product: Telecoms company

WiMax is a 4G wireless technology

Operates over radio waves and transmits a signal from their high site to your WiMax device

Imagine can access remote locations, cable and phone companies can’t afford to run wires to these locations

WiMax is replacing DSL and cable services because it can be rolled out anywhere

First telecoms company to bring you an alternative phone service to Eircom

(“Imagine,” 2010)

ADSL Broadband Sky Broadband Unlimited & Talk Freetime

Main business: Digital terrestrial television

Sky is facing increasing competition from telecommunications providers delivering pay television services over existing telephone lines using ADSL

Offer triple-play package: Satellite television, Landline telephone and broadband services

1st March 2013: BSkyB would buy O2’s and Be’s broadband service from Telefonica for £180 million up front plus £ 20 million once the customers have been transferred.

Concentrate on better mobile services using 4G

Uses existing Eircom telephone lines, they switch you over to Sky Broadband and send out a Sky Hub. Simply plug the included micro filters into your telephone sockets and then plug the Hub in

Speeds will depend on how far you are from your exchange, the closer you are the faster your broadband will be

(“Sky Broadband,” 2013)

Technological Options Available to me

Production Technologies Laptop – personal computer device

Iphone

Ipad

Distribution Technologies Home Internet

3G & 4G mobile internet

Satellite Communications

Technical Specification Personal computer devices: replaces human workers as everything is

saved on file on the laptop or in the Cloud.

Easily accessible

Iphone and Ipad: Audio and video recording.

Internet at home or 3G/4G internet makes publishing information instant

Can upload videos/ info on the spot

Increases the possibility of working from home or being mobile as equipment can be brought with you

There is both benefits and negatives to having constant access to the internet

Benefits and Negatives to internet Access

Benefits: Being able to work from any

location

Having all files accessible when you need them

Finding information that you need on the spot

Can upload anything instantly using your mobile internet

Could benefit arts events as tickets can be booked online

Negatives: Individual privacy is threatened

due to everything being online

People can find anything they want to know on the internet

Can be negative for arts events as reviews can be accessed online, could either make people not want to go

People download everything on their devices, less people going to watch films or buying music

New Technology can be Expensive for SOHO Business

All prices are approx. as devices can vary in price due to quality:

Laptop: € 500 - € 1500

Iphone: € 600 - € 900

Ipad: € 299 - € 500

Mobile packages: € 20 (All texts, free weekend calls and unlimited internet) - € 80

Price plan of home internet on the previously explained packages

Best Package Available to me UPC Horizon Max Bundle Package: Internet, TV and Home Phone. Speed

up to 200mb, downloads unlimited, monthly cost € 50 (first 6 months, € 80 per month after). Free calls anytime: Local and National and 400 minutes selected International calls. Over 100 channels and can record 4 channels at one time while watching a 5th.

For SOHO scenario: Imagine 10mb Wimax and Calls. Speed up to 10mb, downloads unlimited, monthly cost € 19. Unlimited Local and National calls and calls to top 30 International destinations for 3c per minute. This broadband package provides WIFI with strong download speeds and several computer and internal devices can be used at one time.

Mobile Business scenario: O2 Hotspot Huawei E5332 package. € 0 up front, monthly cost € 20.32, 15gb per month and can connect up to 8 devices at one time. This would be useful as it will wirelessly connect to O2’s mobile broadband network around Ireland.

(“Uswitch,” n.d.) (“Bill Pay Mobile Broadband,”n.d.)

Option that Suits my Businesses Needs

Arts festival organiser working from home

Imagine Wimax package best suits my businesses needs

Provides high speed internet with unlimited downloads

Therefore, uploading videos of upcoming events and watching videos and listening to podcasts won’t affect monthly cost.

Also includes unlimited local and national calls for home office phone.

Allows me to make calls involving my business at no extra cost.

Multiple devices can connect to the internet at one time.

This package is also the cheapest out of the providers that are in my area.

References

1. AriZoldanWimax (2008, Dec 15). What is Wimax?. Retrieved on October 29th, 2013, from [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp2MAtRRfx8&list=PL6D14AD2104D5BE40&index=1&noredirect=1]

2. Bill Pay Mobile Broadband. (n.d.). Retrieved on October 29th, 2013, from [http://www.o2online.ie/o2/shop/broadband-and-internet-bill-pay/]

3. Imagine. (2010). Retrieved from [http://www.imagine.ie/about_imagine.html]

4. Sky Broadband. (2013). Retrieved on October 25th, 2013, from Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Broadband]

5. UPC Ireland. (2013). Retrieved on October 25th, 2013, from Wikipedia: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPC_Ireland]

6. Uswitch. (n.d.). Broadband Packages. Retrieved on October 23rd, 2013, from [www.Uswitch.ie/broadband/packages]