ALTO 'disappointed' with ComReg report
ALTO, the industry group representing telecoms operators in Ireland, has expressed "strong disappointment" at the failure of ComReg to take action on mobile termination rates.
These are the access charges the telcos charge each other for the cost of a call from a land line to a mobile phone and are estimated to represent an annual cost of over €300m to the Irish telecoms industry.
ALTO estimates that if these access charges were based on the actual cost of providing the service, as is required under EU law, the total cost per annum would be in the region of €55m.
The potential savings to consumers would be in the region of €245m each year, according to ALTO.
Iarla Flynn, chairman of ALTO said today: "This inaction has cost Irish consumers €140m in excessive mobile charges over the past seven months alone.
"ComReg should set significantly lower rates immediately for the two dominant operators (O2 and Vodafone) to give consumers maximum benefit as soon as possible," he added.
