EU report on telecoms highlights Irish shortcomings

IRELAND’S telecoms services lags far behind its main competitors for overseas investment because of a toothless ComReg, foot-dragging by Eircom and cumbersome government rules.

A new EU report also says that the €20 mobile phone companies charge one another for allowing a customer to move but keep their number unfairly affects new companies trying to break into the market.

Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding says the massive telecoms sector, worth €290 billion a year in the EU, is not breaking free of old monopolies or opening up to competition fast enough.