Eircom Again Falls Foul Of Telecoms Regulator Over High Speed Internet Access

by Robert Lee, Tax-News.com, London

27 January 2003

Irish telecommunications giant, Eircom has once again landed itself in hot water over its high-speed internet access offering for non-business consumers.

The former state provider has been in 'discussions' with the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) since 2001 over its failure to announce a reasonable and cost-oriented wholesale rate which would be charged to other telecoms operators in the Republic looking to sell the service on to the public.

At the beginning of January, head of ComReg, Etain Doyle finally reached the end of her tether, and gave the company until February 24 to announce its wholesale prices, warning that unless it did so, it would not be permitted to offer the high speed connection itself.

The Irish Independent reported on Friday that following the company's announcement that it will be charging end-consumers 45 euros per month for the provision of DSL high speed internet access, rival provider, Esat BT reported the monopoly provider to ComReg for failing to announce a wholesale rate first:

'Launching a consumer DSL service before Flat Rate Internet Access Call Origination (FRIACO) is running before you can walk,' East BT's director of communications, Una McGirr explained last week.

Recommended