Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
433. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the proposal made by Eircom to ComReg to reduce telephone line rental; if he will ensure that this proposal, if approved, will be applicable to all customers irrespective of location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6942/13]
View answer435. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will intervene with Eircom regarding a proposal (details supplied) to drop the price of telephone line rental by €4 per month to its customers in cities and towns as part of the broadband roll out in order to extend this €4 reduction to all its customers countrywide to also include its 440,000 rural customers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7182/13]
View answer436. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will take the steps to instruct the telecommunications regulator, ComReg, to reject the attempt by Eircom to discriminate against rural dwellers by reducing the price of telephone line rental by €4 per month specifically for customers in cities and towns as part of their broadband roll-out plans; if he will ensure that the same reduction will be afforded to rural dwellers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7187/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 433, 435 and 436 together.
In June 2012 the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) extended until June 2014, a universal service obligation (USO) addressed to Eircom, which among other things, requires that line rental for basic fixed line telephone services is available to end users at a standard price across the country. There are no proposals to amend this obligation.
Separately, ComReg published a decision (ref. no., 13/14) on its website last week, which allows Eircom greater flexibility in setting wholesale rates for bundled services offered to its competitors at telephone exchanges where there is already active competition among service providers and/or exchanges where next generation access services are available. The retail price for basic fixed line telephone services is not altered as a consequence of the decision and remains at a standard price across the country in line with Eircom’s universal service obligation. This was an independent decision reached by ComReg in accordance with its mandate. I had no statutory function in the process.
