Digital Infrastructure
COMREG NEWS
ComReg publishes Consumer Care Statistics for Q3 2023
ComReg published its Consumer Care Statistics Report for Q3 2023. The Report noted a decrease of 5% in issues reported to ComReg in comparison to the corresponding quarter in 2022. Furthermore, approximately 8,800 consumer contacts and 3,400 issues were received by ComReg’s consumer care team in Q3 2023. 83% of all issues recorded concerned Electronic Communication Services, while Premium Rate Service issues and ‘Not for ComReg/Other’ issues accounted for 2% and 15% respectively. ComReg classifies the issues received as either queries or complaints, and of the total issues received in Q3, 91% were queries while 9% were complaints. With regard to Mobile Service Provider issues, ComReg recorded 282 issues for Eir and 260 issues for Vodafone. The average number of complaints per 100,000 customers rose from 0.9 in Q2 2023 to 1.1 in Q3 2023. The full report can be found here.
Plum Consulting conducts study on retail prices of Broadband and Voice Communications Services in Ireland
ComReg has commissioned Plum Consulting to carry out an analysis on the level and development of retail prices of fixed broadband packages and voice communications services in relation to national consumer prices and consumer income. The report finds that, between Q1 2020 and Q1 2023, mobile voice services comprised the cheapest means of obtaining voice communications services. The general observed increase in fixed voice prices is presumed to be a result of bundling services by service providers, since the cheaper prices are only offered by standalone voice service providers. As of Q1 2023, the report estimates that the cheapest fixed voice or fixed broadband service could cost around 3% of monthly income for households at the bottom income decile. The full report can be found here.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Eir reports on Revenue Increase and 5G rollout
Eir has successfully made its 5G network available in more than 587 towns, increasing from 510 locations in September, and its mobile subscription base has increased to 1.4 million in Q3 2023, up from 1.295 million at this time last year. Eir recorded further increases in its mobile subscription base and retail broadband subscriptions. Furthermore, increases in its fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-cabinet networks mean that 2.1 million homes and businesses now have access to fibre-based connectivity. Eir has also reported a total turnover of €315 million in Q3 2023, and has seen an overall increase in revenue compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022. Further information can be found here.
NBI Broadband rollout reaches 200,000 Premises
National Broadband Ireland announced certain milestones in relation to its broadband rollout, reporting that its network is now available to more than 200,000 homes, farms, and businesses. It notes that at least one third of premises targeted by the National Broadband Plan now have access to full fibre infrastructure, and 77% percent of premises have completed the survey and design stage to set up this infrastructure. NBI’s CEO Peter Hendrick commented that ‘NBI will ultimately serve 564,000 premises, so we have now reached over a third of the rollout and are ahead of our target of 185,000 premises passed and ready to connect by January 2024’. Further information can be found here.
International Telecoms Union publishes 6G Framework
On 1 December 2023, the International Telecoms Union (ITU), the United Nations specialised agency for information and communications technology, published the framework for developing 6G standards. The “IMT-2030 Framework” in Recommendation ITU-R M.2160 was approved in November at the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly in Dubai. The framework includes theoretical peak data rates that could reach 1 TeraBits per second (1,000 GigaBits per second), as well as the utilisation of TeraHertz bands radio spectrum. Companies and industry associations are expected to submit proposals for the IMT-2030 Radio Interface Technology (RIT) in early 2027, with the aim of having 6G technology standards approved by 2030. Further information can be found here and here.