Irish Mobile Networks are a ripoff. EU!

Sponge Bob

The EU released its annual state of telecoms report this week. It found that

a) Mobile termination rates ( the cost to call a mobile network) in Ireland is the second highest in the EU. We fared better in 2008 coming in around 6th out of 27th. Most of them cut their prices and some by a lot. We did feck all. Rip Off Ireland is alive and well.
b) The MOST EXPENSIVE network to call in ALL of the EU ....is Three Ireland. They are the most expensive by a long shot.

Three are the most expensive in every single country they operate in. Not just here.

At this rate we will be top by next year. We have the highest line rental in the world and now we want to top the price gouge list for calling a mobile.

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/doc/implementation_enforcement/annualreports/15threport/15report_part2.pdf

Graphs pages 20 and 21/22

drunkmonkey

Are you trying to make out that 3 is the most expensive network to be with in the country?
I'm not sure where your trying to go with this, your taking about termination charges & interconnect rates and using that as a basis to call 3 a rip off.
It's not a rip off to consumers but your post doesn't say that. Those charges matter very little to the ordinary person in the street.

Do you even know who sets these charges and why 3's are higher than others? (i'll give you a hint, it's got to do with competition and brining better value to consumers)

Sponge Bob

3 Ireland is the most expensive network to call, fixed or mobile, in the whole of the EU.

Kristopherus

Sponge Bob wrote: »

3 Ireland is the most expensive network to call, fixed or mobile, in the whole of the EU.

Not true. And if you go abroad you can use Three like Home to avoid the so-called high charges. I have a mobile with Three and they are easily the cheapest of the Irish mobile operators.

drunkmonkey

Sponge Bob wrote: »

3 Ireland is the most expensive network to call, fixed or mobile, in the whole of the EU.

You don't know what your talking about, your using that report to have another bash at 3.

Comreg sets's those rates not 3.

Believe it or not, it's a good thing that 3 charge higher rates, it's in the consumers best interest.

That report does not say 3 are a rip off, only you are saying that based on something you've read that you don't understand.

Sponge Bob

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You don't know what your talking about,
Believe it or not, it's a good thing that 3 charge higher rates, it's in the consumers best interest.

That report says that three ireland charge the highest termination rates ( fixed or mobile) in all of the EU and that is the simple truth.

You will note that all the other Irish mobile operators are in the 'most expensive' part of the table...once you calm down that is.

Fixed termination rates are below the EU average.

drunkmonkey

Sponge Bob wrote: »

That report says that three ireland charge the highest termination rates ( fixed or mobile) in all of the EU and that is the simple truth.

You will note that all the other Irish mobile operators are in the 'most expensive' part of the table...once you calm down that is.

Fixed termination rates are below the EU average.

yes they do have the highest termination rate charges. That has nothing got to do with what consumers pay, those rates are what networks charge each other not cosumers.
If 3 had the same charges as Vodafone they wouldn't be able to compete for customers. As 3's customer base gets bigger the rate comreg let's them
charge will drop as they will have more on net calls.

Are you begining to understand? Those high rates are in our best intrest and allow 3 to compete by bringing value to consumers.

3 are not a rip off, there probably the cheapest out there at the moment.

Sponge Bob

drunkmonkey wrote: »

yes they do have the highest termination rate charges.

Which is what I said. The EU had a bit more to say about the matter on page 235 of this further document

"Following voluntary commitments entered into during 2009 all four mobile network operators in Ireland will now each reduce their MTRs annually to reach an average rate of 5 €-cents per minute no later than the end of 2012.

ComReg has reserved the right to intervene where rates are materially out of line with EU best practice. Average MTRs are among the highest in the EU and stood at 9.86 €- cents compared to 6.70 €-cents at EU
level in October 2009.

The implementation of these voluntary commitments should bring MTRs in Ireland closer to the EU average although there remains a significant gap.

The Commission emphasises the need for ComReg to review this market shortly and to impose appropriate remedies instead of relying on voluntary commitments."

If 3 had the same charges as Vodafone they wouldn't be able to compete for customers. As 3's customer base gets bigger the rate comreg let's them charge will drop as they will have more on net calls.

That is a different argument, smaller operators are allowed to charge up to 20% more than larger operators and that asymettry is not at risk unless 3 get a significant market share. An verage rate of 5c minute within 2 years does not imply tht 3 will be the same price as Vodafone unless they grow their market share over those two years.

But 5c should be the average and 3 should be under 6c by them

Thank God for the EU :cool:

jimmycrackcorm

I don't understand this thread. My mobile bill is way cheaper on three than when I was on all the other operators. I'm paying €30 now p/m on three compared to €120 when I was on meteor before. My usage is the same. How does it matter if three have more expensive termination rates when they are way much creator for the consumer?

drunkmonkey

What are you trying to say? I don't understand what point your trying to get across in this thread.

Are you still trying to say 3 are a rip off? Who
exactly are they ripping off?

You still don't get it! It's a good thing not a rip
off.

drunkmonkey

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I don't understand this thread. My mobile bill is way cheaper on three than when I was on all the other operators. I'm paying €30 now p/m on three compared to €120 when I was on meteor before. My usage is the same. How does it matter if three have more expensive termination rates when they are way much creator for the consumer?

I don't understand it either, it's what's know as a thread fail, spongebob was just 3 bashing again that is all.

Maybe when spongebob figures out that 3 are good value he might come over and join us on dark side : )

ardmacha

How does it matter if three have more expensive termination rates when they are way much creator for the consumer?

It matters because Three are effectively subsidising these deals you get by ripping off those who ring Three numbers, whether they be with other mobile operators, landline users, or international callers.

drunkmonkey

ardmacha wrote: »

It matters because Three are effectively subsidising these deals you get by ripping off those who ring Three numbers, whether they be with other mobile operators, landline users, or international callers.

There not ripping off, it's to aid competition in the Marketplace, the alternative is a Monopoly by one operator. It's Comreg that sets these prices here.

3 are a new entrant into the mobile market that's why there allowed to charge more.

O2 and Meteor would have got the same kind of help when trying to take on Vodafone.

ardmacha

There are two issues here, the interconnect rate for O2 and Vodafone which may be too high by international standards and the higher rate for Three where the difference may be justified for a new entrant.

Probably both are a bit too high.

drunkmonkey

There's no mention of Tesco, this is what caused all the trouble where Tesco customers couldn't call 3. Tesco were getting subsidised as if they were a network which wasn't fair on 3 as they were actually rolling out a network.
Not sure how it all ended, problem is resolved now.

Davy

Not sure if its fully sorted out yet, their was a deadline a few months back, and most of the agreement was ok but i think both parties weren't happy.