Mobile phone licence appeal ruling reserved

The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on appeals by two unsuccessful bidders for the State’s second mobile phone licence aimed at allowing them proceed with actions challenging the manner in which the licence was allocated in 1995 to Esat Digifone.

The State in Jun 2007 secured orders from the High Court stopping separate actions by two consortia — Comcast International Holdings Incorporated and Persona Digital Telephony Ltd.

Both consortia had in 2001 initiated actions against the State, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Esat Digifone and its former chairman Denis O’Brien, in which they challenged the licence award and claimed millions of euro in damages.