Communications Bill

fixer

I was all over the government websites tonight, looking for the text of this Communications Bill. I couldn't find it, does anyone have a link handy?

The point of my research is this: what exactly is this Bill expected to help with? What do we expect or desire from the Government? What laws do we want enacted or enforced?

What should I be discussing in any letters to politicos? Just saying I am unsatisfied with the current situation is fine, but I would rather help provide solutions, which means I need to be educated on some things.
I guess I don't want to be seen like we often view the hippy anti-war protestors of the late 60s, offering no solution to the issues at hand and just bitching about the actions that I think they are taking or not taking.
It would also help if everyone who consider themselves part of the Ireland Offline group to have the same information, providing a unified, clear message.

(on now: Dweezil Zappa: "I want a yacht"

Fergus

http://www.irlgov.ie/tec/communications/comlegislation/schemeregbill2001.html

One of the key things it provides is for a penalty, on indictment, for a non-complying telephone company of up to 10% of their turnover. Instead of the current situation which only allows the regulator to fine them 1,500 pounds.

To quote the DPE.. the main provisions are:

a) To replace the Director of Telecommunications Regulation with a Commission for Communications Regulation, with appropriate arrangements for the transfer of staff and functions of the Director to the Commission.

b) To broaden the scope of the powers of the Commission in the exercise of its functions in light of the emerging EU regulatory framework and to improve the powers of enforcement of the Commission’s decisions.

c) To reform the legislative framework governing the opening of public roads by telecommunications operators.

d) To implement other policy proposals set out in the Governance and Accountability in the Regulatory Process paper (published by the Department of Public Enterprise in March 2000), including the enhancement of the transparency and accountability of the new Commission to the Oireachtas and the public and provision for an appropriate relationship between the Commission and the Competition Authority in areas of common concern.

e) To include the recently adopted Regulation of the European Parliament and Council mandating local loop unbundling from January 2001 within the enforcement powers of the Commission.

Boston

c could cut the cost of laying fibre in half, and could be the means by which ntl (or whoever) upgrade dublin, now i know you all say but what about the country, remember, they cant drop a price in dublin and not drop it in cork or even mayo

murcielago

1. Nature of Universal Service Obligation
3.1 Overview
There are three elements of universal service defined in the Voice Telephony Regulations. Briefly, these are:
· Access to the fixed network and services,
· Directory Services, and
· Provision of Public Pay Telephones.

The Director is required to designate a fixed operator or operators, or other person as the case may be, to provide each of these services throughout the State. The person designated to provide network access must be a fixed operator. Another appropriate person may be designated in the case of the other services.

A fixed operator or person designated by the Director is required to maintain affordable services for users, in particular those in rural and high cost areas and vulnerable groups of users, such as the elderly, those with disabilities, and those with special needs.


3.2 The Nature of the Services

3.2.1 Connection to the Fixed Public Telephone Network and Access to the Fixed Public Telephone service
A fixed operator designated as having a universal service obligation shall “ensure that... any request, in so far as the fixed operator considers it reasonable, by a person for connection to the fixed public telephone network at a fixed location and access to fixed public telephone service, is met” . The Director may issue directions to a designated fixed operator in relation to the reasonableness of requests for connection to the network and access to services covered by the designation, and the terms under which connection and access may be provided. Such directions may also require the operator to provide access where a refusal would be unreasonable. Where a request for connection or access is turned down, there is a right of appeal to the Director.

A connection to the public fixed telephone network must be capable of allowing users to make and receive national and international calls, enabling speech, facsimile and data communications. Such a connection must be capable of transmitting data via modems at 2,400 bits per second .