asked the Minister for Communications the approximate value of revenue from telephone call charges that is attributable to (a) local calls (b) trunk calls and (c) international calls; the proportion of each which is thought to be generated from business users; and the proportion from residential users.
Written Answers. - Communications Service Statistics.
153.
The revenue from telephone call charges is published in Telecom Éireann's annual report which is available in the Library of the House. Revenue information in the format sought by the Deputy is not available from Telecom Éireann's records.
154.
asked the Minister for Communications the number and value of calls to and from the United States, Canada, Japan and each of the Western European countries.
I have no information regarding the number and value of calls to and from the United States, Canada, Japan and each of the Western European countries.
155.
asked the Minister for Communications the present call charges to and from Ireland for the United States, Canada, Japan and each of the Western European countries in respect of (a) a three minute peak rate call and (b) a three minute off peak call.
Details of Telecom Éireann's charges are published in Statutory Instrument No. 256 of 1988 entitled Telephone (Amendment) (No. 2) Scheme, 1988. I have no information regarding the present call charges of the other countries.
156.
asked the Minister for Communications the latest figures available on the comparative costs of local and of trunk calls in Ireland compared with the United States, Japan, Canada and Western European non-EC countries, at peak and at off-peak hours.
Details of Telecom Éireann's charges are published in Statutory Instrument No. 256 of 1988 entitled Telephone (Amendment) (No. 2) Scheme, 1988. I have no information on comparative costs in the other countries mentioned in the question.
157.
asked the Minister for Communications the present cost of (a) connection (b) quarterly rental and (c) charge per unit of service for business subscribers, peak and off-peak, in Ireland and for the United States, Canada, Japan and each of the Western European countries in respect of (1) telephone, (2) telex, (3) facsimile machines and (4) private circuits (leased lines).
Details of Telecom Éireann's charges are published in Statutory Instrument No. 256 of 1988 entitled Telephone (Amendment) (No. 2) Scheme, 1988, and Statutory Instrument No. 79 of 1986 entitled Telex (Amendment) Scheme, 1986. I have no information about the level of charges of the other countries.
158.
asked the Minister for Communications in respect of each of the following actual or potential services (i) the licensing agent (ii) whether licence application is open to competition (iii) the number of companies other than Telecom Éireann or its subsidiaries which now hold licences (a) business communications services i.e. telex, electronic mail and cellular telephones (b) application services in videotex and databases (c) value-added network services and (d) cordless telephones.
(i) The licensing agent in respect of items (a), (b) and (c) is the Minister for Communications for international services. Telecom Éireann, under section 89 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983, may license the provision of national services and on appeal from a refusal by Telecom Éireann the Minister for Communications may grant the licences. The Minister for Communications also has power under section 111 (2) of the 1983 Act to license national services, (ii) Any person may apply to the Minister or BTE for a licence to provide services and (iii) Other than Telecom Éireann no company is licensed at present to provide the services mentioned in the question. Six applications are currently under consideration.
The Minister is the licensing agent for the supply of cordless telephones but so far no licences for their supply have been granted.