Peter Barry
Question:251 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications whether the licence granted to a company (details supplied) obliges that company to offer a service to all houses in the area on the same terms.
Written Answers. - Cable Television Licence.
The company referred to by the Deputy was issued with a cable television licence for Cork city and its environs with effect from February 1982. The licence was amended with effect from March 1985 to include Carrigaline. The MMDS franchise for County Cork and west Waterford was issued to the company in October, 1989.
The terms of a contract to supply multichannel television—cable and MMDS —are a matter between the subscriber and the licensed company and nothing in the licence obliges a licensee to offer a service to all houses in the area on the same terms. However, cable television operators must have the consent of the Minister for their charges for the basic service supplied.
MMDS charges are a matter for MMDS operators primarily and they do not need Ministerial approval. However, under the relevant regulations the Minister has power to investigate the charges being applied by any operator and, if considered warranted, subject to independent arbitration if sought by the operator concerned, direct that an operators charges be altered.