Vol. 413 No. 5
211 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications when the EC Directive for deregulation of telecommunications will be implemented by his Department; and if he will outline whether (1) the cellular network, (2) the public switch network or (3) the private leaseline network will be open to free competition when the directive is implemented.
It is presumed that the Deputy is referring to Directive 90/388/EC on competition in the markets for telecommunications services.
This directive does not apply to telex, paying, mobile (i.e. cellular) radio telephone and satellite services and does not propose any change in the provision of the public telecommunications (i.e. switched) network.
The directive liberalises the provision of all other telecommunications services except voice telephones. It allows for regulations of the liberalised services by way of a licensing of declaration procedure. In the case of circuit or packet switched data services the licensing procedures may, until 31 December 1992, prohibit licensed services providers from offering spare capacity on their leased line networks for simple resale to the public. The prohibition may, in the case of insufficiently developed circuit or packet switched date services, be extended to 31 December 1995.
In effect, therefore the Directive liberalises the supply of value added services now and, from either 1 January 1993 or 1 January 1996, as appropriate, the supply of data transmission services.
