Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to instruct ComReg to allow open access to all publicly and privately owned infrastructure. [10176/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I strongly favour open access to private and public telecoms infrastructure. I believe that such access can increase competition, drive down prices and encourage investment.

The question of ensuring access to telecoms infrastructure is a matter for ComReg as part of its function of regulating the telecoms markets in accordance with the requirements of the EU Regulatory Framework for electronic communications. ComReg is independent in the exercise of its regulatory functions and is required by law to exercise its powers impartially and transparently.

Under the Access Directive of the EU Regulatory Framework, ComReg is required to ensure access and interconnection between telecommunications operators in order to promote efficiency, sustainable competition and give the maximum benefit to end users. These are legal obligations under EU and national law, which ComReg is required to enforce.

I very much welcome recent decisions by ComReg to make the cost of access to the infrastructure of the dominant telecommunications player more competitive.

There are a number of telecom networks which are owned by the State or by commercial State bodies that are available to telecom service providers on an open-access basis.

Eighty-seven Metropolitan Area Networks constructed by my Department, in conjunction with Local and Regional Authorities, offering dark fibre and managed services are available on an open access basis to all service providers. There are currently 35 service providers using the MANs in some of these locations.

ESB Telecoms (ESBT) has built over 1,300kms of optical fibre network, which was grant-aided by my Department from Exchequer and European Regional Development Funds. ESBT offers dark fibre and managed bandwidth services to any service provider requiring backhaul connectivity on their network.

Aurora Telecom, a Division of Bord Gáis Éireann, offers dark fibre on its network to service providers on an open-access basis.

The importance of open access for competition in the telecommunications market has been continuously highlighted by me in policy statements governing electronic communications, most recently in my policy paper "Next Generation Broadband - Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland".