Vol. 545 No. 1
130 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has provided funding or given policy directives to the Director of Telecommunications Regulations regarding the provision of further mobile phone or other telecommunications networks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29996/01]
I refer the Deputy to my previous reply of 23 October 2001. On that occasion I stated the policy at EU level on the co-ordinated introduction of a third generation mobile and wireless communications, UMTS, in the Community was determined by a European Parliament and Council decision of 14 December 1999, Decision No. 128/1999/EC. This decision requires that member states take all actions necessary to allow, in accordance with the EU licensing directive, the co-ordinated and progressive introduction of 3G services in their territory by 1 January 2002.
The responsibility for implementing the requirements of the decision rests with the Director of Telecommunications Regulation. This is subject to any public service requirements for licensing spectrum that I may specify in accordance with section 4(9) of the Telecommunications (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1996, and to my consent to regulations under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts to establish the licensing of the spectrum to be used for 3G. I have not specified any public service requirements under section 4(9) of the 1996 Act and I have not yet received any proposed regulations from the director for my consent.
The determination of the appropriate number of service providers to license for provision of 3G services and the award of licences is a matter for the Director of Telecommunications Regulation. Following a public consultation and analysis of the market and spectrum availability, the Director of Telecommunications Regulation decided to license four service providers and has outlined the licensing framework to be employed. The setting of licence fees is a matter for the ODTR and the Minister for Finance.
