The communications regulator ComReg has requested that eircom develop a clear and predictable policy for providing telephone access.
Eircom, as the designated Universal Service Provider,(USP) is required to meet all reasonable requests for telephone lines throughout the State.
Customers should be aware of the terms and conditions under which they can obtain a telephone line at the standard installation cost and should also be aware that in the future they may be required to contribute to the cost of installing the line.
ComReg today set out its views on how eircom should make its future policy on access provision more transparent for users.
To assist in that process, ComReg has required eircom to provide details of the criteria it would propose to use to assess the reasonableness of any request.
The communications regulator is required to give its approval to the definition of what determines 'reasonable' in the context of the provision of a connection at a fixed location.
For their part, eircom has recently initiated a study which it believes will allow for the development of a more informed proposal with the completion date in June 2004.