Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 October 2012
119. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the progress made in ensuring that the mobile phone industry supplies chargers common to all mobile phone devices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43998/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provision of telecommunications services, including the provision of users’ equipment, is a matter in the first instance for services providers operating in a liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I am advised that following a request from the EU Commission and in close co-operation with the Commission services, major producers of mobile phones agreed in June 2009 in a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) to harmonise chargers for data-enabled mobile phones sold in the EU. The signatories of the MOU included Apple, Emblaze Mobile, Huawei Technologies, LGE, Motorola Mobility, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, TCT Mobile (ALCATEL mobile phones), Texas Instruments and Atmel who represent more than 90% of the mobile phones sold in Europe.
The MoU specifies that "all new mobile phone models and new chargers models on the market produced by the signatories shall offer this common charging capability one year after the related standards have become available". The MoU also permits compliance to be achieved by making a suitable adaptor available to customers. The related European Standard was agreed at end 2010 and the provision became applicable from end 2011. The standard is therefore only applicable to new models placed on the market during 2012. I am advised that a recent EU Commission update on the MoU reports that 90% of new models placed on the market offer the common charging capability and that the Commission is continuing to pursue manufacturers to achieve full compliance.
