Vodafone investment doubts after ComReg email fiasco

bealtine

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/vodafone-investment-doubts-after-comreg-email-fiasco-195911.html

By Vincent Ryan

Friday, June 01, 2012

Vodafone has said its plans to invest in Ireland may be threatened after the communications regulator (ComReg) sent it letters relating to O2’s bid for a mobile phone licence and also sent Vodafone’s correspondence to O2.

Subsequently, an employee at ComReg mistakenly emailed Vodafone Ireland’s strategy director, Paul Ryan, information on how to submit cricket scores as the regulator was attempting to play down the impact of the initial data breach.

The combination of the two breaches resulted in Vodafone sending letters to ComReg claiming that the issues and delays around the mobile phone licence auction could affect Vodafone’s plans to invest in Ireland.

On Apr 23, Mr Ryan wrote to ComReg after it had emerged the regulator had sent correspondence intended for O2 to Vodafone.

"Late last week ComReg disclosed correspondence intended for Vodafone Ireland Limited with Telefonica O2 Ireland Limited and disclosed correspondence to Vodafone intended for O2," Mr Ryan said in a letter.

ComReg responded by apologising for the mistake and playing down the importance of the error.

In a letter to Vodafone on Apr 26, ComReg chairman Alex Chisholm said: "I am of course sorry this occurred. At the same time, I am glad that no harm was done, on the basis that Comreg’s letters related to non-confidential aspects of each party’s correspondence under reply, and were intended for publication."

Then on May 8 a ComReg employee, Samuel Ritchie, sent an email to Mr Ryan that included a password and Mr Ritchie’s ComReg email address for the purpose of submitting cricket scorecards.

The email resulted in Vodafone looking for a formal review of ComReg’s data protection measures in advance of any auction for the mobile phone spectrum.

"The manifest inadequacies in ComReg’s systems for custodianship and security of information, together with its apparent reluctance to engage with stakeholders on how those standards could be raised to a level of best industry practice, is a cause of grave concern to Vodafone in circumstances where ComReg is proposing to undertake what is likely to be the most complex, highest-value spectrum allocation process in the history of the State," McCann Fitzgerald solicitors, for Vodafone, said in a letter.

A week later McCann Fitzgerald again wrote to ComReg saying: "If uncertainty continues, Vodafone may be forced to postpone or cancel planned investments in Ireland. In large part, the uncertainty is the result of the delay which has been a feature of the proposed auction process since it began four years ago."

watty

You couldn't make this stuff up. People would claim it spoiled the book by being too fantastic.

clohamon

It looks more like a bruised ego on the part of Mr Ryan than anything serious. The last email from the commissioner is what does the damage, and reams of childish point-scoring duly follow (including the huffy piece of transcription by Vodafone's solicitors)

From: Hoencamp, Jeroen, Vodafone Ireland Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 08:44 PM To: Alex Chisholm Subject: Spectrum letter
Alex,
Thanks for your call back this afternoon. I appreciate you have acted speedily and that you confirmed that you have both received our letter back and that is was unopened.
We will revert as a matter of priority next week.
Regards Jeroen

followed by

From: Alex Chisholm Sent: 20 April 2012 22:25 To: Hoencamp, Jeroen, Vodafone Ireland Subject: Re: Spectrum letter
Thanks, Jeroen. Yes, our letter to you, which is non-confidential, is being returned to us; and we are assured it has not been copied, studied or disseminated. It will in any case be published shortly on our website according to our standard practice. I am relieved that no harm has been done on this occasion, but do sincerely regret the administrative error we made, and the inconvenience and concern caused. Have a good weekend.
Regards, Alex

followed by

From: Ryan, Paul, Vodafone Ireland Sent: 23 April 2012 09:06 To: Hoencamp, Jeroen, Vodafone Ireland Cc: Alex Chisholm Subject: RE: Spectrum letter
Alex, I could pop in about 15.30, does that suit? P

"Hoencamp, Jeroen, Vodafone Ireland" wrote:
Alex,
I have asked Paul Ryan to contact you to discuss things. Would you have the time to meet him later today? Regards, Jeroen

followed by

From: Alex Chisholm Sent: 23 April 2012 12:27 To: 'Ryan, Paul, Vodafone Ireland'; Hoencamp, Jeroen, Vodafone Ireland Cc: George Merrigan; Samuel Ritchie Subject: RE: Spectrum letter
Paul,
Thank you for your email of this morning requesting a meeting later today. I am not free at the time suggested, but in any case ComReg does not see any need to meet on this matter, given the facts as already communicated. Tomorrow we would expect to have the two letters back from the 2 parties who received them - and thank you for your cooperation in this matter - and will confirm same to the parties addressed in the letters. We will in due course (as already advised) be publishing our two letters. Otherwise we would consider the matter closed.
Regards, Alex

Cabaal

So essentially he saw it as, "I think we've done nothing wrong so I'm going to ignore you now and not talk about it anymore."

And these people are supposed to be professionals?

clohamon

Cabaal wrote: »

So essentially he saw it as, "I think we've done nothing wrong so I'm going to ignore you now and not talk about it anymore."

And these people are supposed to be professionals?

I think he acknowledged that he did something wrong and apologised for it.

Post gets mis-delivered and emails get misdirected, the question is whether there really is a systemic problem with confidentiality and custody at ComReg or whether Vodafone were making a meal out of an accidental mistake that we've probably all made at some time.

If they had a special meeting with Vodafone's Paul Ryan they'd have to have had one with O2, and then probably the others as well.

I agree that in general they don't listen, or if they do, they don't consider what they've heard in any meaningful way.

bealtine

clohamon wrote: »

I think he acknowledged that he did something wrong and apologised for it.

Post gets mis-delivered and emails get misdirected, the question is whether there really is a systemic problem with confidentiality and custody at ComReg or whether Vodafone were making a meal out of an accidental mistake that we've probably all made at some time.

If they had a special meeting with Vodafone's Paul Ryan they'd have to have had one with O2, and then probably the others as well.

I agree that in general they don't listen, or if they do, they don't consider what they've heard in any meaningful way.

I tend to disagree, it was not just a slight thing it was an endemic failure on the part of Comreg. Imagine sending your email and password by email...it just smacks of stupidity right in the middle of a dispute about the security of procedures used within Comreg?

I find it scary that these people are in charge of something so technically complex when they can't even use email? Fire or abolish the lot of them I say