Mr. Aidan Ryan:

In the example raised by the Senator, Eircom is an incumbent operator and by definition, it has a lot of infrastructure. If one takes the example of the copper wire coming into a house, back in 2001 it was recognised across Europe that not all operators could begin to start running copper wires. Consequently, a process was put in place, the technical term for which was unbundling the local loop, in which other operators were given the opportunity, on terms. This principle has worked and across Europe, there are instances of how other operators go as far as the exchange and then use the copper wire used by the incumbent, which has facilitated competition to a great extent. This proposal is extending it, in that the particular regulation in question simply confined it to the copper wire between the exchange and the house. However, this proposal pertains to the further infrastructure that is back right across the network. It is an extension of the same principle.