Consumers face highest mobile charges in Europe
Irish consumers are faced with the highest mobile telephone and line rental charges in Europe, it emerged tonight.
The average revenue per user of a mobile in Ireland is €47.20 compared to the EU average of €30.67, according to a new survey by communications watchdog, ComReg.
German consumers pay less than half their Irish counterparts at €22.84.
The average cost of line rental in Ireland is €24.20 a month, more than €9 above the EU average and almost €6 more expensive than the second most expensive country.
Ireland also has the second highest domestic phone bills in the EU, with only Finland’s proving more expensive.
Damien Mulley, Chairman of Ireland Offline, said it was time for a regulatory shake-up in Ireland.
“The latest ComReg report highlights the cataclysmic failures of the telecoms environment in Ireland which has seen prices continually increase and speed away from the EU average for line rental, mobile and landline costs,” he said.
“ComReg are meant to be regulating this market and making sure consumers are getting value for money and they have totally and completely failed and now are trying to spin away their failures.”
Mr Mulley claimed consumers are entitled to know they have the highest line rental in the EU and the second highest landline bills.
“ComReg fail to include the pricing models used by the EU which would show our landline bills being the second most expensive in the EU,” he said.
“This selective inclusion and exclusion of facts is unacceptable for a state appointed group and needs to stop.”
