Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will comment with reference to Article 14 (4) and Article 5 (5) of the European Parliament resolution on roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union, May 2012, on Ofcom's assertion in its Communications Market Report 2012 that 91% of Northern Ireland mobile phone users have picked up Republic of Ireland networks when in Northern Ireland; if he will outline his strategy for addressing inadvertent roaming charges on Republic of Ireland mobile phone users for phone usage in this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48916/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Inadvertent roaming within the EU is governed by “EU Regulation 531/2012 of 13 June 2012 on roaming on public mobile communications networks”. This is the third in a series of EU Regulations to increase the level of consumer protection for mobile phone users when using roaming services.

The current Regulation, (EU) 531/2012, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on the 30 June last and became directly applicable to mobile roaming services providers on the following day. My Department is currently drafting regulations to designate the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) as the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) in Ireland for the purposes of the current Regulation.

ComReg was also the designated as the NRA in Ireland for the purpose of the previous Regulations. Last July ComReg published a document [12/83] “Implementation of EU Roaming Regulation by Irish Mobile Companies - 9th wave of Irish and EU aggregated data” which, among other things, sets out the main obligations arising for roaming service providers under the most recent EU Regulation, it includes provisions such as roaming providers making information available on how to avoid inadvertent roaming and taking reasonable steps to protect their consumers from paying roaming charges while situated in their Member State. ComReg is gathering information from providers regarding the measures that they are taking and the information they are providing to their customers in this regard.

The current Regulation also requires that customers receive a short text message (SMS) informing them on each occasion when they move to a roaming service and the related details. In addition, ComReg advises customers to refer to their handset user guide to change the setting from ‘automatic network selection’ to ‘manual network selection’ to avoid inadvertent roaming. Customers can refer the matter to ComReg’s consumer line, if they have raised the issue with their provider and not achieved a satisfactory outcome. I understand from ComReg that the level of issues raised by Irish consumers in this respect is low.

Regulation of the telephone market in Northern Ireland is a matter for its regulatory authorities.