Wrong number for consumers

PEOPLE can be forgiven for spitting with rage over the latest hike in Eircom’s telephone line rental charges, the third in a year which saw customers saddled with a 25% increase.

Their deep sense of anger brings to mind the costly experience of more than half a million investors who put their money into Eircom when the former State-owned company was privatised only to get their fingers badly burned as shares plummeted.

Yesterday's decision by ComReg, the telecom regulator, to approve Eircom's application for yet another rental increase will put a monthly fixed line charge of over €24 on every customer, by far the highest in Europe.