Dáil debates

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

2:00 pm

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Deputy Ferris is correct that mobile services are not subject to the same universal social obligations as fixed lines. I started out from a similar position to that of the Deputy. My officials have discussed this issue with ComReg on several occasions and I have met its representatives on more than one occasion. ComReg is adamant that difficulties will not arise for a number of reasons. First, the infrastructure is in place and the masts have already been erected. There will be no roll-back on that. Second, the obligations on Vodafone, 3 and O2 in respect of 3G services were greatly exceeded. Third, mobile telephone companies are already competing to provide services and there is no question of a diminution of that competition. The 70% idea arose principally because it was considered desirable that such a large figure be a requisite to prevent cherry picking by a new entrant to the market. A new company would not be able to pick populous urban centres while avoiding regional, provincial or rural areas.

Comments

eamonn wallace
Posted on 1 Jul 2012 12:41 pm (Report this comment)

This is utter Comreg ideological nonsense...if Comreg are so adamant why didn't they just put their money where their mouths are and just regulate for 90% geographic coverage?

There is no Comreg analysis in the document mentioned.

70% population coverage just covers the east coast and some major towns, what are rural users supposed to do pray for some mythical competition in the far-off future?

After all that's Comreg's job: to regulate for the benefit of consumers and not just regulation that benefits the industry and create lax regulation and hope that competition will fill in the rest of the country. That's plainly deluded...if they (Comreg) cannot do basic regulation and meet the requirements of their job they should be reformed or disbanded.

70% population coverage will do exactly what Comreg says it won't do: cherry pick the urban areas.

IrelandOffline provided a map that outlines what 70% population coverage looks like :
http://irelandoffline.org/2012/06/comreg-and-70-population-c...

Log in or join to post a public comment.