Vol. 424 No. 6
48 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications when the pan European Global System of Mobile Communications will be available in Ireland; and if she will give details of the European countries with which the current Irish system of mobile communications is compatible for the purposes of using Irish equipment in other EC countries.
I understand that Telecom Éireann is planning to launch the panEuropean Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), envisaged in Council Recommendation 87/371/EEC, in summer 1993. Under this Recommendation major urban areas in Europe should be covered by 1993 and the main links between these areas should be covered by 1995 at the latest.
The existing Eircell phones may not normally be used in any other European countries. However special arrangements are in place to enable Eircell phones to be used in Northern Ireland. In addition Irish subscribers to the Eircell system, who also become subscribers to another similar cellular system, may use their mobile phone in Ireland and in the other country provided special dual purpose phones are used.
