Private company to get access fees for publicly-owned telecom masts

THE consortium providing the new garda radio system will have to pay a private company in order to access publicly-owned telecommunications masts.

The company, Vilicom, will earn hundreds of thousands of euro from the deal.

On Monday, Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell announced the Tetra Ireland consortium — consisting of Eircom, Motorola and Sigma Wireless — as the preferred bidder for provision of the National Digital Radio Service.