[Release] Consumers face massive charges and 12 month delay for phone lines

damien

We just released this in response to the ComReg USO proposals. This release just tackles install fees and waiting time for an install. Another PR will go out mid-weel about FIA.

Consumer group IrelandOffline today called into question a new
consultation document from Communications Regulator ComReg. According
to IrelandOffline the proposal will force some consumers to wait up to
12 months to get a new phone line. In addition consumers could end up
paying thousands of euros to have their line installed.

"This proposal if allowed in its current fom will mean 5% of consumers
will be made wait from 6-12 months and have to pay above the standard
charge if eircom decides to recalculate its costs. The potential for
abuse of their position is too great and consumers could easily end up
paying thousands of euros to get a basic phone line. " stated Damien
Mulley, Chairman of IrelandOffline.

The proposals from ComReg allow eircom to take 4 weeks to install a
line for 50% of applications and up to 12 months to install a line for
5% of consumers. Currently eircom charge the consumer a flat fee for
installation no matter what the install costs eircom. The new
proposals set a cut off mark at €7000, with eircom absorbing the first
€7000 and the consumer paying all costs after this. While this may
appear as if most consumers will not be affected, liberal accounting
and cost measuring could see prices inflate well above this. Currently
0.13% of installs go above the cut-off mark but this could climb if
other costs suddenly get factored in if the proposals are mandated.

Spokesman John Timmons added "A Universal Service Obligation* is self-
explanatory. Adding in stipulations for the benefit of eircom
invalidates its meaning and is a disservice to the consumer. ComReg
need to go back and protect every consumer in the USO. Some cannot be
more equal than others. Everyone must have the same consumer
protection. "

"Eircom takes €450 Million from Irish consumers every year from line
rental alone. This is more than enough for eircom to ensure universal
service and keep their lines up to a modern standard. ComReg needs to
understand this." added Timmons

“Once again, Irish people will be the ones paying the most in Europe
for a supposedly universal service that only reaches a percentage of
the population” said Mulley. "The current proposals have yet to be
mandated and we ask every consumer to make their views known to ComReg
and their elected representatives in order to stop these changes from
occurring”

* Universal Service Obligation (USO) – a specific requirement placed on
an operator which has been designated to provide certain services to
all specified persons. For example, eircom is currently required to
provide basic voice telephony and certain other established
telecommunications services to anyone who may reasonably request them.

dahamsta

<adam stands with rapturous applause>

Jorinn

"This proposal if allowed in its current fom will mean 5% of consumers....."

Proof read?

damien

IrelandOffline will be on Clare FM tomorrow morning at 10.50am.

Jorinn, proof read by 4 different people, who obviously will be appreciative of specsavers vouchers. Heh.

vector

damien.m wrote:

IrelandOffline will be on Clare FM tomorrow morning at 10.50am.

Jorinn, proof read by 4 different people, who obviously will be appreciative of specsavers vouchers. Heh.

One wonders at the relevance of this today,
I mean who cares? If you have a mobile phone and get have a wireless internet connection that you forget about eircom.

SkepticOne

vector wrote:

One wonders at the relevance of this today,
I mean who cares? If you have a mobile phone and get have a wireless internet connection that you forget about eircom.

I have a wireless connection and a mobile phone. I make a point of not paying Eircom their rubbish line rental. But alternative providers (wireless or otherwise) are far from everywhere right now. This is about the most basic level of provision 28.8k, not fancy broadband, and Eircom are the only ones in a position to provide this.

Jorinn

damien.m wrote:

IrelandOffline will be on Clare FM tomorrow morning at 10.50am.

Jorinn, proof read by 4 different people, who obviously will be appreciative of specsavers vouchers. Heh.

Ah well, not that bad. Specsavers fund IrelandOffline now? Nice to see corporate backing etc.

cgarvey

Congrats to Damien who was on ClareFM's Morning Focus this morning, and made key points very well.

Rips are available on the IoffL website in 16Kbps MP3 format (~0.5MB). PM me for lower formats if required.

.cg