Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if any study has been done on the quality and extent of cover of the various mobile telephone service providers throughout the country; if complaints in relation to the quality of service continue to be monitored and or addressed; if customers in particular areas continue to have a poor quality of service; if the regulator has been made aware of any such deficiencies; if any corrective action is warranted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53586/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The provision of mobile phone networks and services is undertaken by telecommunications service providers operating in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Licences to provide mobile telephony services are granted by ComReg pursuant to the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1926, as amended, and have been issued to the following Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Vodafone, O2, Meteor and H3G. There are also a number of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Ireland such as Tesco Mobile Ireland, E-mobile, Postfone and Lycamobile who have entered into commercial wholesale network access arrangements with MNOs.

Their licences, among other things, require MNOs to provide a minimum level, of both population coverage and quality of service. In practice in all cases networks exceed the minimum stipulated coverage and quality of service requirements for commercial reasons. Compliance with licence requirements is assessed bi-annually by ComReg. Any discrepancies with the requirements of the Licence, found during the assessment have to be addressed by the MNO concerned to ComReg’s satisfaction.

Furthermore, if any consumer raises a complaint with an MNO and the consumer is unhappy with the MNOs response, then, I understand that the ComReg will progress such complaints with the MNO concerned in an attempt to reach a resolution.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if any particular comparisons have been made with other EU jurisdictions on the extent to which mobile phone roaming charges apply; if particular EU jurisdictions have by one means or another a more beneficial application of such charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53587/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The provision of mobile telephone roaming services within the EU is governed by “EU Regulation 531/2012 of 13 June 2012 on roaming on public mobile communications networks”. This Regulation is the third in a series of such regulations which commenced in 2007 to increase the level of consumer protection over time for customers using roaming services.

The current Regulation, which commenced on the 1 July 2012, among other things, continues the process of imposing reductions in the maximum permitted retail charges for roaming services within the EU over time and requires the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) to collect data on roaming charges which is made public.

The most recent BEREC report on this matter for the period July-December 2011, which was published in May 2012, concludes that average EU retail prices for roaming voice and SMS services are close to the permitted EU price caps. This indicates there are no significant price variations between member states for these services.

Regulation of the maximum retail price for roaming data services first commenced on 1 July last under the current EU Regulation and price comparisons, benchmarked to the permitted price cap, are not yet available.