Digital Infrastructure
COMREG UPDATES
Failure to include consumer references on bills
Sky Ireland Ltd was fined €54,000 following an investigation by ComReg which found that Sky failed to put consumer references on consumer bills in accordance with Regulation 8 of the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Authorisation) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 335 of 2011). ComReg found that consumer references had been omitted on both online and paper bills. Sky Ireland has paid the fine and ComReg will continue to monitor any further complaints from consumers. Read the full report here.
Implementation of EU Open Internet Access Regulations in Ireland
The EU Open Internet Access Regulations was adopted in 2015. In this annual report, ComReg confirms that no formal assessments of Internet Service Provider (ISP) restrictions on the use of compliant equipment contrary to Article 3(1) of the Regulations have been carried out, but that it continues to monitor market activities. Regarding transparency requirements, ComReg notes that continuing engagement with ISPs has enabled ComReg to establish sufficient transparency and information requirements, albeit that it may add additional requirements in future. Lastly, ComReg states that it continued to work with other national regulatory authorities (NRAs) on tools to facilitate an Internet Access Service monitoring mechanism for consumers. Read the full report here.
Quarterly Key Data Report for Q1 2023
This report contains statistical data ComReg collects from authorised operators, which represent around 95% of the market. One important trend relates to an increase in fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband services, and a decline in VDSL-based fixed broadband subscriptions. Furthermore, there has been a continued increase in higher speed broadband services. ComReg states in the report that over 59% of fixed broadband subscriptions in a country have a download speed of 100Mbps or higher, compared to 51.6% in the previous year. Read the full report here.
Consultation on Universal Service Provision of voice only connections and voice communications services at a fixed location
ComReg published consultation submissions on the Universal Service Provision of voice only connections and voice communications services at a fixed location. Submissions were received from ALTO, eir, NBI and Virgin Media. Universal Service Obligations generally ensure that telecommunication services are provided in areas where market players may not offer their services. Eir is the current Universal Service Provider (“USP”) for fixed location access. In the consultation, participating parties shared their views on ComReg’s current practices in designating a USP and whether obligations need to be expanded or amended. Read the full publication here.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Network Investment
Vodafone Ireland will invest €500m in its network over the next five years. The investment is aimed at improving call and text reliability and 4G/5G voice coverage in line with plans to phase out the 3G service onto the stronger and more sustainable 4G/5G networks. Read the full article here.
2Gbps connectivity
Virgin Media Ireland announced the commercial launch of 2Gbps downlink speeds. This had previously been available in some areas including Dublin, Cork and Louth where Virgin Media is changing its cable network to full fibre. By the end of Q1 2023, 260,000 of the operator’s premises were equipped with FTTP technology. Virgin Media Ireland remarked that more than 90% of sales were for services offering 500Mbps or 1Gbps speeds and 20% of sales were for services offering a speed of 1Gbps, indicating growing demand for higher speeds overall. Read the full article here.
European Retail Broadband Market
Eutelsat Communications will sell its European broadband retail activities, which include Bigblu Operations, to a private operator. This will affect retail activities in several countries including the UK and Ireland. Read the full article here.