Increase in faulty Eircom lines worries ComReg

23-02-2007

by Emmet Ryan

Eircom's performance as Universal Service Provider generally improved over the first nine months of 2006, though an increase in line faults gives ComReg cause for concern.

According to the ComReg study -- Performance Indicators Q1-Q3 2006 -- which was published on Friday, Eircom scored well when it came to performing its duties in Public Service Telephone Network (PSTN) provision and in installing phone lines promptly.

However, ComReg did state in the report that it is wary of an increase in the number of faults being reported and the increase in time it's taking for these to be fixed by Eircom.

The former incumbent was designated the Universal Service Provider (USP) for three years in 2003. Last year, this obligation was extended through to 2010. As USP Eircom must meet a number of criteria set down under the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which includes making sure that every person can avail of basic fixed line services at an affordable price, no matter where they live in Ireland, as well as providing directory services and payphones.

The study found that 95 percent of requests for residential PSTN access were completed within 13 working days in the third quarter of last year, as opposed to 40 working days for the first quarter of 2006.

Business PSTN access also improved during the nine-month period, with 99 percent of requests completed within 73 working days in the third quarter of 2006, as opposed to 113 working days for the first quarter. The report also found that 89 percent of residential requests and 82 percent of business requests were completed by the agreed date with the customer in the third quarter.

Over 90 percent of requests for installations were completed, for both business and residential customers, within four weeks for all three quarters, which ComReg said far exceeded the initial guidelines. The report does reveal though that a small number of connections took over a year to complete.

While the study is mostly positive in its comments on Eircom's performance, the regulator expressed concern that the volume of faults reported is steadily increasing, while the time taken to complete repairs is also lengthening.

There were faults on 5.8 per 100 residential lines in the third quarter of 2006, compared to 4.5 in the first quarter. There were 2.9 faults per 100 business lines, up from 1.9 in the first quarter. In both cases the time taken to repair the faults increased in the third quarter from the first quarter.

"ComReg is currently considering whether performance targets should be set regarding specific aspects of the USO," said ComReg's chairman Mike Byrne in the study's foreword.

"It appears that while a majority of consumers are receiving installations within guidelines, a number are not, and this is appropriately a cause of concern for ComReg. In particular, it should be noted that the trend on faults indicates that the volume of faults reported is steadily increasing while the time taken to complete repairs is also lengthening," Byrne added.

The regulator said it will hold a public consultation on the question of setting binding targets for delivering aspects of the USO as soon as the data for the last three months of last year becomes available. The consultation will be held prior to making a decision on this issue, ComReg said.