Eir swells its customers base further leading to 'strong' start to the year

However, the telecoms provider has faced criticism in recent years in relation to customer care

In a trading update, the company posted revenue of €311m, while company earnings also climbed 7%, or €9m , compared to the first three months of 2023. Pic: Fennell Photography

Eir’s stronghold on the Irish telecoms market led to a bump in revenues and earnings in the first three months.

The company, which is the largest provider of fixed line telecommunications services in the Republic, posted a 2% increase in revenue for the first three months, compared to the same period a year earlier, driven by a rise in broadband and mobile customers.

In a trading update, the company posted revenue of €311m, while company earnings also climbed 7%, or €9m , to €137m compared to the first three months of 2023.

Chief executive Oliver Loomes said the company recorded a “strong” start to they year as Eir’s mobile customer base swelled by 1.45 million, an 8% jump on the same period in 2023, due to the expansion of 5G mobile and fibre broadband networks.

However, the company's operating costs were also up, reaching €109m, representing a 4% increase.

Mr Loomes said this growth was followed by a capital investment of over €1bn since 2018.

However, the telecoms provider has faced criticism in recent years in relation to how it handles customer complaints.

Last month a judge fined the company €7,500 after it was prosecuted by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) over its former customer complaints procedures.

Eircom, which trades as Eir, also paid €10,000 in costs and pleaded guilty to 12 offences for breaching the Universal Service Regulations for two years commencing in mid-2021.

Earlier this year, The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said a total 39,172 consumers contacted the helpline in 2023to express discontentment, and five firms in particular were named by consumers when making complaints. Eir topped the list with 546 contacts.

“Eir has invested in significantly improving our customer service, which has led to an 80% reduction in complaints over the last five years, as recorded by ComReg,” a spokesperson for Eir said at the time.