Communications Regulators Publish Cross-Border Telecoms Report

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and Northern Ireland's Communications Regulator (Ofcom) Wednesday published the first report of their Joint Working Group on cross-border telecoms issues.

The Joint Working Group (JWG) was set up in April 2004 in order to explore solutions to problems that affect telecommunications users in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These include mobile phone roaming charges, data transfer, numbering, illegal radio broadcasting, and the potential for joint provision of all-island spectrum licences.

In writing the report, the Group has reviewed existing research and commissioned new studies, both at the consumer and technical level, to establish the extent of inadvertent roaming and its effects on users.

The issue of inadvertent roaming - where mobile phone users connect to a base station in the Republic of Ireland while in Northern Ireland and vice versa - has been a concern for many groups, including public representatives, consumer and business organisations, as well as individual consumers.

International mobile phone roaming charges are significantly more expensive than charges for calls made via base stations within the consumer's home country.

Research conducted for the Joint Working Group on Mobile Roaming suggests that Inadvertent roaming is a feature on all networks on both sides of the border. Manual selection of a home network can prevent inadvertent roaming; Some of the operators have all-island tariff options in place for their post-pay subscribers. However the JWG noted that none of the operators has any arrangements in place for pre-paid customers - the largest customer segment in U.K. and ROI; Pre-pay mobile phone users in Northern Ireland could be paying up to six times the charges incurred by customers on a contract when roaming; More than two-fifths (43%) of Northern Ireland mobile phone customers surveyed have been connected to a cross-border base station whilst still in Northern Ireland, of whom one-third have then made a call which incurred international roaming charges; 90% of Northern Ireland consumers surveyed were unable to recall being provided with advice about the issue of inadvertent mobile roaming.

On the wider issue of international roaming, which has been identified by the Regulators throughout Europe and the European Commission as a significant issue to be addressed, ComReg and Ofcom are actively working with other members of the European Regulators Group on this issue.

The Joint Working Group also assessed the issue of cross-border data transfer in fixed telecoms markets. Recent initiatives by both governments have begun to improve the level of infrastructure and services and to address the lack of resilience of the telecommunications infrastructure in border areas. This can lead to greater diversity of supply and more competition in this area.

Ofcom's Northern Ireland Director, Denis Wolinski said: "Our research demonstrates that consumer concern about inadvertent roaming between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is based on evidence. We are keen to work with the industry to explore possible solutions."

(END) Dow Jones Newswires"

Posted to the site on 19th January 2005