Vol. 519 No. 5
116 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to concerns that the delay in opening competition in the local loop of the telecommunications service will hamper Irish competitiveness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14154/00]
Following full liberalisation of the telecommunications market in December 1998, competition has been developing with the sector, with consequential benefits for Irish consumers and business. In addition to the traditional fixed line telephone network a number of new platforms, such as digital cable, MMDS and wireless in the local loop are providing customers with alternative sources of access to telecommunications services.
There has been much recent debate concerning the local loop. On 19 April 2000 the Director of Telecommunications Regulation announced a decision mandating the introduction of bitstream access to the local loop and laying out a framework for the introduction of local loop unbundling in Ireland. On 26 April 2000 the European Commission issued a recommendation on unbundled access to the local loop. I will be introducing legislation to address competitive access to the local loop in the context of a new regulatory framework for the telecommunications industry in Ireland. In the coming weeks my Department will be consulting with interested parties on the proposed legislation.
