Ireland's telecoms regulator, ComReg has decided to force the country's two dominant operators, O2 and Vodafone to open their networks to virtual operators (MVNO's). ComReg has also said that existing national roaming agreements between network operators should remain in place. Vodafone and O2 will be required to maintain the roaming agreements they currently have with other operators.
In other European countries where further competition has been developed through the entry of MVNOs, the prices paid by consumers have fallen in some cases by up to 25%.
ComReg has discussed its findings with the Competition Authority who believe that intervention in the mobile market is justified at this point.
Following the introduction of new EU communications legislation in 2003, ComReg was required by the European Commission to analyse the level of competition in this market. ComReg was required to determine whether this particular market is effectively competitive and, if not, to introduce measures to stimulate more competition.
Isolde Goggin, the chairperson of ComReg, said: "This has been a long and very thorough process, and we have not taken this step lightly. We have based our decision on a very comprehensive, factual analysis of the market, and our statutory responsibilities under the European telecommunications regulatory framework. We expect that there will be vociferous opposition from the major operators, but we cannot let that deter us from doing what we believe to be in the interests of competition and of Irish consumers."
Posted to the site on 10th December 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/11427.php