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ALTO demands greater competition
Friday, May 04 2001
by Mary O'Neill
The representative association of new entrant telecommunications operators has
warned that a lack of competition in the area will affect overseas investment.
ALTO (Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators), which represents the
interests of companies that include Budget, Chorus, COLT, Cable & Wireless, Esat
and Meteor says that full competition in the telecommunications sector is still a
long way off. The group also claims that Ireland's telecom industry is still
operating in an environment where operational and regulatory hurdles make it
difficult for people to do business.
There are approximately 70 licensed operators in Ireland, but ALTO believes that
further competition would benefit the market. Iarla Flynn, the company's
chairperson, said that unmetered Internet access has proven a sustainable
business model in other European countries such as the UK and the Netherlands.
The group welcomed the new Communications Bill, which provides a framework
interaction between operators and local authorities, as well as promoting the
development of competition in the Irish market. However it believes that the
local loop should have been unbundled months before now.
"One of the key areas in developing competition is the need to have a
consistent framework in the place, with the development of infrastructure around
the country on a more equal basis," Iarla Flynn told ElectricNews.Net.
ALTO is calling on the ODTR to require Eircom to provide unmetered
interconnection to other operators.
"National regulators and national government play a crucial role in forcing the
incumbent to supply unmetered interconnect to other operatorsÂ…however, the ODTR
has not placed any obligation on Eircom to supply unmetered interconnection to
other operators," Flynn said.
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