O2 boss wants red tape cut from Irish telecoms

damien

From http://www.siliconrepublic.com/

O2 Ireland’s chief executive Danuta Gray has called for a review of what she perceives as a tough regulatory environment facing Irish telecoms players that is stifling innovation and competitiveness.
Addressing the annual business lunch of accountancy body ACCA Ireland, Gray called on the new Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD, to review the regulatory regime.

Gray told accountants that in today’s economy, communications providers have to take into account intervention from bodies including the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Consumer Authority, the Advertising Standards Commission and the EU every time they make a major decision.

“In the current environment of over-regulation, investment decisions will have to be taken not just on the basis of what is right for our customers and our shareholders but in terms of second guessing what each of the regulatory authorities will take issue with. In his new role I ask Minister Dempsey to implement IBEC’s recommendation to create a body to oversee effective and efficient regulation which will result in intervention only when needed,” she said.

Gray pointed out that in the past two years O2 itself had cut prices across the board by 25pc but argued that its becoming more difficult to take risks without stumbling over regulatory red tape.

“In a competitive market such as the mobile market, to continue to attract new customers and keep those it already has, businesses such as O2 have to offer greater levels of service to innovative and offer value for money.

“To continue to be able to do business in this way and invest for the long-term benefit of the economy requires less, not more regulation,” Gray added.

dahamsta

This coming from a(n effective) duopolist in a country with the highest ARPU in Europe. STFU and take it Danuta.

(With all due respect to the ladies present. And of course apologies to Little Timmy if I offended his poow widdle sensibilities. Fairy.*)

adam

*Oops.

parsi

damien.m wrote:

Gray told accountants that in today’s economy, communications providers have to take into account intervention from bodies including the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Consumer Authority, the Advertising Standards Commission and the EU every time they make a major decision

Indeed..how bad. I have to take into account intervention from the Guards, my family, my employer every time I make a decisions. Whats with these guys - they feel they should be able to do whatever they want without anyone having any sayin the matter but then want the protection of these organs went they want to ...

pah.. I cock my *ss in yer general direction..

(sorry again to Little Timmy )

bealtine

parsi wrote:

pah.. I cock my *ss in yer general direction..
QUOTE]

Surely that's O2's job?

dub45

And not a mention of overcharging customers...................who have to second guess O2, Eircom etc all the time!

Your heart would bleed for the hardship they have to struggle with :rolleyes:

De Rebel

I have little interest in O2 and usually ignore threads about mobile operators but this horsesh1te demands a response.

Interesting to see this coming from someone who said "I’m a Yorkshire person and Yorkshire people are used to being direct and can’t stand bullsh1t and jargon". Perhaps there is a subtle difference between horsesh1te and bullsh1te that escapes Danuta.

Fact. The "Consumer Authority" (presumably she means the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs) is not a regulatory body.

The function of ODCA with regard to Telecommunication queries is restricted to:
Advising Consumers of their rights under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980
Investigation of complaints in relation to Misleading Advertising covered by the Consumer Information Act 1978
The European Communities (Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract) Regulations, 1995 )

No regulation whatsoever in that list. Its role is to assist consumers who believe they have been ripped off. So presumably Danuta wants to change that so she can rip us off.

Fact: The ASAI (There is no such body as the "Advertising Standards Commission" ) is not a regulatory body. It is a self regulating body, meaning that it regulates itself, which is a totally different thing. But it most certainly does not regulate the telecomms market, or any other market for that matter. It is a creature of the advertising industry, paid for and run by the advertising industry, and it has as its objective

to ensure that all commercial advertisements and promotions are 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'.

So presumably Danuta wants to change that so she can advertise in ways that are illegal, dishonest and untruthful.

That leaves the EU and ComReg, which are more or less two sides of the same coin from a regulatory perspective. In opposing the EU, Danuta is doing little other than bring British political baggage to the table. And why she feels the need to oppose the benign regime that is ComReg is a complete mystery. Or is it.........

The truth is that this "public bluster" has everything to do with internal O2 issues and nothing to do with the outside world, regulatory or otherwise. Danuta is under a bit of pressure just now. O2 in Ireland is not doing particularly well as as business (relatively speaking of course, its still making huge profits, just not as huge as before) Meteor's gains have been at O2's expense, and Vodafone is doing the business in the corporate marketplace. Leaving Danuta to report some not so good numbers to the rest of MMO2's Executive Board. Ya see, Danuta is kinda high profile, with loads of visibility, and having to trek home to the mainland and report that things "ain't as good as they used to be" is kinda dispiriting. Especially if the reason is "i'm not as good as i used to be". Much easier to trot home and decry the amount of "regulation". "Oh, its appalling, so much regulation, so many regulators. No hope of doing the business and delivering the results"..........

O2 in Ireland is a cash cow, always was, and continues to be. If we had much less regulation Danuta would be walking around with the entire contents of our wallets stuffed into the arse pocket of her jeans.

Maybe its woes are in part due to a chief executive that treats her customers (not to mention the distinguished attendance at the annual business lunch of accountancy body ACCA Ireland) as gullible morons.

Get real, enjoy it while you can. The rip off cash cow that is mobile communications in this country cannot last forever.

And for pity's sake, stop whinging and brush up on the difference between horsesh1te and bullsh1te. Fact: There is no difference whatsoever.

dahamsta

You should send that to her De Rebel. Seriously.

And SiliconRepublic of course. And the rest of the press. And senior management at MMO2 UK.

adam

jwt

If we had much less regulation Danuta would be walking around with the entire contents of our wallets stuffed into the arse pocket of her jeans.

That sums it up nicely.

What f****ing planet is O2 living on. 90% of the problems we have at the moment are directly or indirectly due to lack of regulation.

John

spongebob

Only a Dreadful cynic could say that their hosting Meteor and allowing Meteor users to roam in certain parts of the country is intended to avoid their being classified as having Significant Market Power and thereby being even more regulated than they already are.

Thats a great open letter De Rebel, well worth sending in to the media.

M

damien

I got to agree with everyone else here too. It's definitely something that should be given some print space.

dahamsta

Muck wrote:

Thats a great open letter De Rebel, well worth sending in to the media.

If he doesn't, I'll plaguerise the damn thing and send it meself!