Minister to shake up mobile phone market
Mobile network operators Vodafone and O2 are to be forced to allow competitor companies access to their systems under new rules to be announced by the Minister for Communications Dermot Ahern today.
The Minister is aiming to open up the Irish mobile phone market in order to introduce new price competition.
The new rules will save any newcomer to the market the huge cost of investing in a new network.
The move supports proposals from telecom watchdog ComReg, who last month called for the two operators to open up their networks after the findings of their study of the mobile market showed Vodafone and O2 shared 95% of the market, with the arrival of Meteor not prompting any serious price changes.
Minister Ahern said he had issued draft policy directions on the mobile phone market and fixed line rental.
The new rules will come into effect after a three-week consultation period.
