More cheap talk?

25-03-2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Ireland is top dog when it comes to winning the title of most expensive EU line rental.

IrelandOffline doesn't have an easy time getting its message about poor telecoms and broadband service across. After all, we're in recessionary times. Who wants to hear about how poor broadband is in rural areas when people are, perhaps understandably, more concerned about whether they'll have a job next month? But there's no denying that organisations such as IrelandOffline perform an important role in trying to highlight issues that would otherwise disappear from public consciousness. And if the public aren't aware, the chances are that the elected representatives won't care. A case in point is the, not so much shocking as, depressing news that Ireland is once again a leader in one field of telecoms at least. Ireland has, by far, the steepest monthly line rental charges in any of the European member states [report]. The European median for line rental is just shy of EUR15 including VAT, whilst Ireland is at EUR25.36 (inc VAT) as of September 2008. There aren't really any other EU countries which even get close, the nearest being Belgium and Luxembourg, both at EUR18.40. IrelandOffline Chairperson Eamonn Wallace puts it thus,"Regulators such as Comreg must represent the interests of Irish consumers and Irish businesses as a starting principle and not as an optional add on package to an outdated ideology. Clearly their "emphasis" on promoting competition has failed to deliver a competitive environment and once again Irish consumers are suffering from inflated prices". Certainly, on the available evidence, IrelandOffline would seem to be right. Let's see if ComReg or the telcos feel the need to justify this status quo.

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