City Living: "This is not a fantasy for the future, it is a reality in the present," gushes the promo DVD by Laragan Homes for Archers Wood "smart homes" residential development near Blanchardstown. It promises prospective buyers broadband web access, community-based email, digital TV channels and Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), a broadband phone service which dispenses with the need for a land line. Edel Morgan asks why
A resident of Archers Wood told City Living she and her partner were so taken with the DVD's depiction of futuristic living, they bought the showhouse with all its equipment for an additional €40,000.
The DVD was filmed in the showhouse and as part of the deal, she got a plasma TV, a sound system, three LCD TV screens, two computers and a telematic system, which allows the activation of the alarm, appliances and the water heater by mobile phone text messaging .
The DVD conjures a tantalising image of a leafy enclave where residents' lives are made easier by cutting-edge technology.
The dulcet-toned female voiceover invites viewers to imagine themselves driving home from work and using their mobile to communicate with their house. "Picture this" she purrs, "you decide to turn on the heat, monitor the lights, switch on the security alarm, turn on the oven in which you placed your prepared evening meal and switch on the hot water. You are back to a warm and cooked meal. Sit down and look at the plasma TV to check your emails or telephone bill, perhaps relax and play a video game on X-Box . . ."
Not only that, but residents will have cheaper telephone calls and no line rental due to VOIP and cost-effective digital TV without satellite and says that Sky are on board to provide "one of the first community-based Sky digital networks in Ireland". Some of these technologies are facilitated "through superior broadband bandwidth".
"The reality of the present" is a little different to the one shown on the DVD, according to the resident, who moved into her house in December and spent much of her first Christmas trying to pick up a grainy RTÉ1 and RTÉ2 with the aid of cat's whiskers. She claims she was told the house would be Sky Plus enabled, but it wasn't. She currently pays for a Sky Satellite service.
The digital feed to the TV and radio is insufficient to give an adequate reception and intermittent broadband coverage has made the VOIP technology unreliable. The company brought in to wire the development were replaced when problems arose and all of the houses were subsequently re-wired by a another company.
The catch with the telematic system, which allows a householder to turn on and off alarms, the heat and appliances, by text messaging is that it costs 10c per text, and a separate text has to be sent for each command.
She has never been given a neighbourhood email address and a computer in one of the bedrooms operated by wireless technology is not functioning.
"I am so mad that the developer has advertised another development, Belfry Hall, as a "smart" home development given the extent of the problems at Archers Wood," she says.
Vincent O'Connor of Laragan Homes says the company is "endeavouring to supply the package" shown on the DVD, but admits "if you're asking me if the technology is perfect, it's not.
"The reality is the technology is in its early days, the VOIP technology is working to the best capability that anyone can currently provide it. The expectation of its capability is maybe too high."
But weren't these high expectations based on promises made on the DVD? "I agree the service provider is not delivering the level of service we would like to see them providing. Broadband has shortcomings but we didn't realise that when marketing. We thought the supplier would be able to bring a higher level of service." Another spokeperson for Laragan told City Living that the company "is holding its hands up" about "the lack of clarity" in the DVD. "The communication should have been that we're providing the infrastructure to enable the technology. The trouble is when the development was launched there was great enthusiasm about broadband but it has had its problems .
"We were among the first in Europe to build this kind of development and we wanted to lead the way but there have been teething problems and we are working with Irish Broadband to try to rectify them. But we acknowledge it's frustrating for people living there. An interim company has been set up to deal with the situation and we are committed to doing so."
Vincent O'Connor says the company will be "more cautious" about its claims for future developments. "We intend to take another look at the marketing, perhaps the message for Archers Wood was too strong and couldn't be met. In future we will try to put a different emphasis on what we are offering in our DVDs." For the moment, residents at Archer's Wood are left flailing in high-tech limbo. As late as last night, our resident told City Living she had no internet or phone line.
emorgan@irish-times.ie
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