BSKYB, THE satellite broadcaster and telecoms provider controlled by media baron Rupert Murdoch, has expressed an interest in operating the free wireless internet service that is proposed by Dublin City Council.
The Irish Times has learned that the Cloud, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSkyB, is interested in operating the proposed five-year contract to provide free wifi services at designated public places in the capital.
No comment was available from Sky but it is understood that representatives of its Irish operation and the Cloud met Dublin City Council executives last month to discuss the contract, which has just been put out to tender by the local authority.
This would mark Sky’s first entry into telecoms in Ireland. It is the biggest provider of pay television here with 675,000 subscribers.
The Cloud is a specialist operator of public wifi hot spots and was acquired by BSkyB last year.
It operates in Britain, Germany and Nordic countries. It connects about a million devices to its network each month and its UK locations include Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Silverstone Race Track, and the City of London.
The acquisition was designed to bolster the launch of Sky Anywhere – a service to allow customers access to Sky programming via their mobile devices.
The invitation to tender specifies a minimum of 12 locations where free internet access must be provided and asks bidders to specify how they would provide access for one-off and recurring events in the city such as the St Patrick’s Festival and the Tall Ships Festival.
Dublin City Council is proposing to award the concession to the winning service provider for an initial five years, although either side can terminate the contract after three years once they give six months’ notice.
The tender states that the council will not pay for the service which will have to be entirely funded by the service provider.
Bidders will have to provide an initial free period of access but are not precluded from charging for longer periods of access.
The closing date for the submission of tenders is May 1st, and the council intends to award the contract in July.
Companies seeking to tender have to be profitable, have a minimum turnover of €500,000 and have completed similar wireless broadband projects in the past three years.
The 12 streets and public spaces specified in the document are Smithfield Square, Barnardos Square, Clarendon Street, St Patrick’s Park, O’Connell Street Plaza/the GPO, Temple Bar Square, Wolfe Tone Square, the frontage to the Convention Centre Dublin, Merrion Square, Henry Street, Grafton Street and the amphitheatre at the Civic Offices.
