Mobile operator to recruit 50 people

AN expected explosion of the smartphone market in Ireland means the mobile operator 3 is recruiting 50 people.

The company also said it will continue to challenge the “old networks” by offering better value price plans to customers.

The company said that 2011 was the “year of the smartphone” with 340 million people expected to buy one worldwide and it wants to be at the forefront of this “new mobile phenomenon in Ireland”.

It said 60% of phones sold in Ireland on their network are smartphones, with this figure expected to reach 90% by the end of 2011.

Chief executive of 3 Robert Finnegan said the new roles enhance the company’s ability to manage the “huge consumer demand for smartphones”.

The company said the positions will support growth and investment and are in addition to the 400 people 3 already employs in Ireland.

The new positions will be located in retail stores around the country as well as at 3’s head office on Dublin’s Clarendon Row, where the company is expanding.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte said 3 is playing a significant role in terms of the quality service and competition it offers to consumers in Ireland.

“Three has been a significant driver of mobile broadband penetration through its delivery of the National Broadband Scheme.

“The smartphone economy is vital to Ireland’s future and I am heartened that 3 is strengthening its presence here.”

Mr Finnegan added: “This expansion is a clear signal of the mobile firm’s ambition to strengthen its position in the Irish market in the coming years. It demonstrates the power of the new smartphone economy — we’ve talked about the smart economy for years but the explosion of the smartphone is changing the way consumers use the internet for good and it is driving economic growth around the world.”