AskComReg website now live

Mr_Man

According to the IT Magazine in the SBP to-day Comreg are launching a new website this week aimed at answering consumers questions.

I wonder if they will be able to tell us why we pay one of the highest line rentals in Europe for one of the poorest services ?

M.

damien

They monitor this forum daily, so I'm sure they'll have a wonderful pre-compiled list of questions and answers ready for the launch as a result of trawling through the various thread here.

If someone wanted to post a list of questions here in this thread it might make it even easier for them.

spongebob

damien.m wrote:

They monitor this forum daily,
If someone wanted to post a list of questions here in this thread it might make it even easier for them.

Seeing as they "monitor this forum daily" Why did it take Almost 2 Full Years for Comreg to take action against porn diallers from when it was first noted that Eircom had first announced their fraudulent extortion plan by creating Band 13 ?

M

bealtine

Muck wrote:

Seeing as they "monitor this forum daily" Why did it take Almost 2 Full Years for Comreg to take action against porn diallers from when it was first noted that Eircom had first announced their fraudulent extortion plan by creating Band 13 ?

M

Action requires a cohesive strategy and that "vision" thing...
and of course the media hadn't got their teeth into the story yet
so the potential embarassment level was still very low.
In common with all our beloved regulators they only take action
when prodded with a pointy stick of shining a spotlight on their
(non)activities by the media.

vinnyfitz

Check it out

Press release text:
New website askcomreg.ie
launched to assist Consumers
A new consumer website called www.askcomreg.ie was launched today by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD, at ComReg’s National Conference “Serving the e-consumer”
The new website is specifically designed for consumers and it will provide user-friendly information for people about the sectors which ComReg regulates. This includes information in relation to mobile phones, fixed line phones, the internet and the postal sector. The website is designed to give information to consumers so that they may make informed choices.
The Chairperson of ComReg, John Doherty, said: “ComReg believes that this new website will greatly assist consumers by answering queries and providing information. The site provides information in an accessible and user-friendly fashion that will assist consumer as they make choices in relation to communications services.”
The ComReg conference entitled “Serving the e-consumer” examined how competition within the electronic communications sector can benefit the e-consumer and how business has developed strategies to address the needs of consumers in the electronic age.
The conference was opened by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD. Terry Calvani of the Competition Authority gave a presentation about how competition can benefit consumers and Caroline Attwood- Reusser, an associate director of Mason Catalyst, gave a presentation on the future demands of the e-consumer.
Padraig O’Ceidigh, CEO of Aer Arann gave a presentation about how Aer Arann has used electronic communications technology to build its business and attract new consumers. Danish Regulator Mr Jorgen Andersen, current head of and future chairman of the European Regulatory Group, spoke about the role of regulation within the context of competition and the benefits to the consumer.
Media Release- 13th October 2004
2 PR131004.doc
Full details of all speeches and presentations given at the ComReg conference are available on the comreg website www.comreg.ie

Mr_Man

Just wondering were IOFFL invited to Comreg's e-consumer bash ? It would seem to me that there is no more passionate advocate of the "e-consumer" in Ireland at the moment.

M.

damien

A journalist was on to me Monday and mentioned this. As far as I'm aware we did not get an invite which is quite a pity as we do represent a significant number of internet consumers. I can definitely say that in my regular conversations with ComReg this event was never mentioned to me.

Maybe it was just an oversight, because as is part of ComReg's charter they are there to represent the consumer and are well aware of the work we do championing the consumers rights. ComReg would never be as partisan as to exclude IrelandOffline from such an event so as far as I can see it was some kind of administrative oversight.

spongebob

They invited me all right but I believe that they wanted me to test drive their cool Karaoke machine or was that a Seppuku machine...my Japanese is as dodgy as their respect for the consumer.

M

tomk

Just typed in "line rental", "price increase", and "basket" into AskComReg's nice little keyword box. "line rental" gave me three items about single billing, CPS, and CS - the other two gave me nothing.

And maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't think you can actually Ask ComReg, can you? You can trawl through a load of answers to the questions they want you to ask, but you can't actually ask your own!

Jorinn

I typed in "competence", comreg said "No matching documents were found".

I think they got some things right.






Heh, awfully petty I know.

jwt

To the tune of jingle bells

Oh what fun we love to have
On a one horse regulator!

Type in FRAUD

Result mobile phone theft Phone Security & Tips

FUNCTIONAL No result

MONOPOLY all about reserved areas in postal terms

But for an absolute laugh a minute read try USO which gets you to Universal Service which includes some all time favourites such as

The concept of Universal Service is designed to ensure that that every person can receive a basic set of high quality telecommunications services, no matter where they live, at an affordable price.

or

Affordability is currently maintained through a combination of a Price Cap mechanism and the Low Users Scheme.

You've got to love their sense of humour

In the link on the left titled What is ComReg's role they come up with the best one liner ever

As part of its consumer role, ComReg aims to measure, and where possible act upon, poor quality of service standards.

You can just see it now, multinationals, large corporations and aspiring businesses adopting it worldwide as the ultimate slogan.



Insert company name here aims to measure, and where possible act upon, poor quality of service standards.

What a mission statement. What vision.

But I'm not giving up, somewhere somehow on this site I will find out how to ask ComReg a question. I'm off to get a hat and a whip. "IOFFL and the regulator of Doom" or how about "Raiders of the Lost Regulator"

:rolleyes:
John

vinnyfitz

Fair comment John.
In fact the site is absolutely and utterly designed to stop you asking ComReg questions.
If you do eventually decide to ask a question you end up being thrown back to the "real" ComReg site where the default assumption is you are a business. here
Where is the SLA - Service Level Agreement - about the manner in which they will handle your question?

Praetorian

damien.m wrote:

A journalist was on to me Monday and mentioned this. As far as I'm aware we did not get an invite which is quite a pity as we do represent a significant number of internet consumers. I can definitely say that in my regular conversations with ComReg this event was never mentioned to me.

Maybe it was just an oversight, because as is part of ComReg's charter they are there to represent the consumer and are well aware of the work we do championing the consumers rights. ComReg would never be as partisan as to exclude IrelandOffline from such an event so as far as I can see it was some kind of administrative oversight.

Hi Damien,

I'm just wondering do you have any update on this? Did Irelandoffline get an explanation from comreg?

Thanks in advance,

Praetorian

damien

On three seperate occassions we have asked for an explanation. Our last request 2 weeks ago was not acknowledged, let alone answered.

spongebob

Buttsy didn't invite me either d'mangy oul fecker. I'm well short a p1ssup in Dublin by now so hop to it Buttsy willya ! Ye are bound to be launching something trivial and useless this year with plenty of free gargle. I note the domain ComregSucks.com is available !


M

Praetorian

Are you f*cking serious ? That's complete horseshít. Who the hell do Comreg think they are? They have a conference on consumer issues and they deliberately ignore the main consumer group on internet issues? It says it all. Comreg are corrupt and need to be shut down. They are harming the consumer. Someone should sue them.

Why is IOFL not making a big deal out of this?

dahamsta

Praetorian wrote:

Why is IOFL not making a big deal out of this?

One would presume that IrelandOffline is considering it's options vis-a-vis communications with ComReg and treatment of same in future. Well, one would hope.

adam

spongebob

dahamsta wrote:

One would presume that IrelandOffline is considering it's options

Did they ever a) invite you to anything or b) release an embargoed press release to you (on embargo terms ) in order that you could formulate a comment on it the next day ....o former iChairperson of IoffL .

M

dahamsta

I never heard a word from them Muck, but then I wasn't very keen to talk to them; and I had decided to leave decisions like that to the next chairperson anyway. If I had stayed on though, I would have voted heavily in favour of treating them as a "hostile witness". I don't think they have the best interest of the country as their priority; or rather I think that they believe they do, but they're utterly wrong, and there is absolutely no chance of talking them around. Therefore they should be ignored or attacked. I favour attack.

It has to be said that I feel this way about 90% of the people/organisations involved, as my comments recently have probably demonstrated. Obviously Eircom, and obviously ComReg from my comments above, but also the OLO's should be under constant pressure from IrelandOffline to come out against both Eircom and ComReg, the Goverment and the Opposition parties should be under constant attack, etc.

The moderates will argue that negativity breeds negativity, but I've been a moderate(ish) for long enough, it's just not working. No matter how many press releases Tommy Broughan sends out or how many rare, "right" decisions ComReg makes, they're still not within 1% of coming anywhere near to doing enough to make this country competitive in terms of communications.

Only drastic action will cut the mustard now, such as renationalising Eircom's network, or at the very least a major Governmental attack on the structure and/or financial workings of the company. They need to be brought to heel, and an example needs to be made of them. Now.

adam

Praetorian

Let the dogs of war savage the bastards. They still have FIA tied up, they screwed us on LLU, they screwed the consumer with the porn dialler fiasco. They have no redeemable qualities and they should be abolished.

spongebob

dahamsta wrote:

I never heard a word from them Muck, but then I wasn't very keen to talk to them anyway; and I had decided to leave decisions like that to the next chairperson.

Adam. I agree with every bit of your post save one important bit.

You were chair of IoffL which is a highly respected lobbying group in the ICT sector in Ireland. In that capacity you should have been treated with some courtesy . This , after all, is the Comreg that has made some noise (albeit of the fart under water in the bath kind ) about formulating consumer related panels to examine certain issues. If they exist we have no firm evidence thereof. This is the Comreg that has the legal task of ENSURING FIA for all of us, yet the leading ICT lobby group has to drag pertinent information out of them through an FIO Act application.

In short this is the Comreg that wishes that the Consumer would just go away....unfortunately it seems that it won't .

At the VERY least you should have been given 'embargo' terms on Buttsys press releases in order that you, as Chair, could formulate a considered response to the activities....or non-activities... of Comreg as these unfolded. I appreciate the difficulties of travelling to Dublin for press occasions but I'm sure that a thirsty committee member can be found wandering the Quays at short notice sometimes.

Comreg are quite happy to peddle these press releases to tame journos who do not understand them or care but are loath to allow ICT representative groups access to the press material in a timely manner.

I would take umbrage with that attitude of theirs were I iChairperson and a rather short odd bet to be the Third Policeman ... I mean commissioner of course :eek: .....sorry. That on behalf of those whom you represent , not in your personal capacity.

M

bealtine

Muck wrote:

This is the Comreg that has the legal task of ENSURING FIA for all of us, yet the leading ICT lobby group has to drag pertinent information out of them through an FIO Act application.

giggle
Implementing FIA might upset Comreg's paymasters...

Muck wrote:

In short this is the Comreg that wishes that the Consumer would just go away....unfortunately it seems that it won't .

It wouldn't surprise me if hoardes of consumers decided to descend on Comregs offices demanding blood and maybe a few heads too...
Those pesky consumers just won't goaway, they will be demanding their rights too..which Comreg have buried in another useless and utterly pointless consultation.

dahamsta

Muck wrote:

I would take umbrage with that attitude of theirs were I iChairperson and a rather short odd bet to be the Third Policeman ... I mean commissioner of course :eek: .....sorry. That on behalf of those whom you represent , not in your personal capacity.

It really is about time there was a genuine consumer advocate in that third seat. The whole organisation has come to revolve around the industry. Even Gov.ie has to kick them up the hole to get them to do anything.

bealtine wrote:

It wouldn't surprise me if hoardes of consumers decided to descend on Comregs offices demanding blood and maybe a few heads too...

Are you making a suggestion bealtine? Should I get my pitchfork?

adam

De Rebel

dahamsta wrote:

One would presume that IrelandOffline is considering it's options vis-a-vis communications with ComReg and treatment of same in future. Well, one would hope.

adam

I think it is fair to say that there are divergent views amongst the committee in relation to ComReg. There are those who see them as an irredeemable irrelevance that should be bypassed and then there are others who see them as a failed entity that should be abolished. I think the Chairman still feels that there is some hope, but even he appears to be loosing his enthusiasm.

ComReg has never managed to rise above the confines of being a narrow, foot dragging, bureaucratic regulator. They have never risen to the challenge of being a pro active agent of change. They seem to sit there, and really don’t do much that impacts on our daily lives.

It annoys me as a taxpayer, that we have a fairly substantial body of 120 or so people that really doesn't do much that is worth talking about. It annoys me more as someone with National pride that wants to see Ireland Inc. do well in the future that one of the most important players is underperforming to chronic extent.

Comreg has no realisation that Ireland is a small country and that simple solutions are the ones that work. They engage in long drawn out consultations, which seek to research things almost from first principles. Guys, no inventing needed! They are handed regulations on a plate, all they need to do is implement them for the common good. Take the current FIA consultation. Its easy. FIA=Broadband, 512/128, excluding sattelite. And in cases where eircom can't deliver, temporary FIA = 44k dialup. Next. There, wasn’t that easy. But no, instead we spend god knows how many million having consultations and deliberations and wasting years and getting nowhere.

ComReg has no vision, no accountability and worst of all no understanding of the importance of ICT for the country's future.

IOFFL should be one of ComReg's closest allies. We should be in the thick of things with them, helping and assisting them, prodding and provoking them, challenging and encouraging them. Instead, they refuse to met us, refuse us an invitation to their seminars, refuse to give us pre embargo sight of their press releases, and refuse to give us a platform as a/the legitimate voice of the internet consumer in Ireland. It is a measure of their detachment from reality that we are on first name terms with their FOI department, and that this is pretty much the only channel of useful communication with them.

My considered opinion is that ComReg should be abolished and its regulatory function subsumed back into the DCMNR (where it would most probably be much more successful as an instrument of policy implementation under far-sighted people like Tuohy and Molloy). It was created to avoid a conflict of interest between DCMNR as shareholder in the incumbent and DCMNR as the regulator. As eircom is no longer in public ownership, and based on ComReg's performance to date, there is no real benefit in its continued independent existence.

As I said here, it is now quite evident that:

This is probably the clearest indication yet that Comreg as currently constituted are not up to the job. Clearly, given the appalling contempt which Comreg and in particular John Doherty have shown towards IrelandOffline there is little point in further attempts at engagement.

It is now up to us to highlight this to all who will listen. The press, the media, the opposition and of course the Minister and the DCMNR.

Enough is enough. It becomes clearer by the day that Comreg are part of the problem not part of the solution. This inaction (and indeed incompetence) needs to be taken into the public arena. There is far too much at stake to allow this timewasing to continue indefinitly.

I rest my case.

damien

Congratulations on your 1000th post DeRebel. Everyone send the guy positive rep for it. It was good of you to give members here an insight into the views of the committee.

I think the next few days will be very important in regards to ComReg and IreladOffline. The current mexican standoff between the two of us is going to change, this cannot be argued. We both will need to work to come up with a new way forward.

Mr_Man

Folks,

as I said before the reason for the existence of the regulator is to protect the relevant minister from the political flack from things like line rental hikes and increases in electrical charges. Why it takes 120 people to do this is just a shining example of Sir Humprehy at its best.

In my view what IOFFL should be doing is putting pressure on the minister to reform Comreg so that they at least have some customer focus, and the askcomreg site is a good example of how not to focus on the customer. With to-day's example of the chair of Positive Action being appointed to the board of the Irish Blood bank now might be a good time to push for similar representation on the Comreg board for a member of the IOFFL committee.

M.

bealtine

Mr_Man wrote:

now might be a good time to push for similar representation on the Comreg board for a member of the IOFFL committee.
M.

Embrace your enemies and by embracing extend...

It's the oldest trick in the book however Comreg never bought
that book or any book.
Apart from the Readers Digest Guide to Telecomms Regulation.

seamus

Offtopic stuff trimmed & binned

jwt

My feelings about Comreg are fairly apparent from my posts about them.

If any member of Comreg should happen to meet Damien; they should stand him a few drinks. He has been very patient in dealing with them and acted as the voice of reason and calm when others were counselling action.

However time and time again Comreg have snubbed IOFFL, disdaining to even acknowledge mails from the Chairman. This says a lot about ComReg’s current attitude to the consumers of Ireland. Dahamsta's comments about a hostile witness approach echo my sentiments. Comreg are and always have been a major problem not a solution and should be treated as such.

It is apparent that we have no alternative, with all due respect to the Chairman, but to deal with Comreg in public, documenting every nuance of their incompetence and forward all comments, snubs and rebuttals to the media.

If you think our successes with airing Eircom’s failings to the media were good, wait till you see what happens with Comreg!!!

Comreg have been given enough chances and attempts to get things right, we have offered help, insights and plain advice. Each and every time they walk over us.

Enough is enough, if they want to play silly buggers, let them. We are THE lobby group for Internet access. Let’s show them what that means!


John

vinnyfitz

I think the Department/Minister should be formally (i.e in paper not by email) advised of ComReg's consistent failure to give any recognition to the role of IrelandOffline.

This has got beyond a joke. ComReg should be falling over backwards to facilitate consumer input as a counterbalance to Operator lobbying. Instead

• they have a consumer panel - which they never convene;
• a consumer website which is designed to avoid interactivity;
• an event invitation list which consistently ignores consumer representatives and, apparently;
• a discourteous approach to direct representations from our representatives.

We do not have to put up with this and we should not do so any longer.

By avoiding giving any sort of formal or even informal recognition to IOFFL ComReg probably thinks it is saving itself hassle.

ComReg people monitoring this forum probably point to the most cranky posts to reassure themselves that nobody could be expected to deal with the likes of us. But John, Isolde etc. - its not Boards.ie we want you to deal with. Rather it is the balanced, representative, mandated committee that has to hold the line here despite being consistently snubbed and left in the dark by ComReg.

The cynicism and frustration expressed even by long term supporters of IOFFL here is directly attributable to the evident "consumer deafness" of ComReg.

It's back to the old quandry "who regulates the regulator?"

De Rebel, while I sympathise with your arguments we should be realistic. Regulatory reform is on the Government agenda but regulator aboolition definitely is not for all sorts of legal and administrative reasons.

Bizzarely I would argue that the battle for proper consultative status for IOFFL is probably more of a priority than any other campaign the committee is currently engaged in.