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In addition to setting out timeframes, the document from the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation also sets out service level agreements for the collocation of services and processes.
The issue of local loop unbundling has been under discussion at the ODTR for the past number of months. The local loop in Ireland is currently controlled by Eircom. Unbundling would allow competing companies to offer a wider variety of services and should result in lower telecommunications costs for Irish customers.
In a separate document that was issued on April 30th of this year, the ODTR set prices for access to Eircom's network and directed changes to the company's original reference access offer.
Under the terms of the directive, monthly line rental has been fixed at EUR 13.53. Eircom had originally proposed a monthly rental of EUR32.50.
Reacting to the release of Monday's publication, Esat said it welcomes the ODTR's determination of LLU Service Levels and penalties payable to Esat if Eircom fails to deliver to those service levels. The company went on to say, however that it is unclear whether the penalties to be placed on Eircom will be a sufficient commercial imperative to force them to comply.
Esat remains very concerned at the slow progress of unbundling the local loop.
"To date not a single local loop has been unbundled. Any decision by the ODTR that brings that day closer is welcomed," David Taylor, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Esat told ElectricNews.Net.
Eircom reacted by saying that it will comply with the points that have been laid down by the ODTR in the Information notice.
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