ODTR unveils new set of internet access codes

Son of Blam

The article below was taken from the "Eircom Live" magazine "The paper for Eircom people". (hehehehe)

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Telecommunications regulator unveils new set of access codes for internet access to facilitate development

The Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation (ODTR) has paved the way for telecom operators and internet service providers to introduce new pricing models.

Two new access codes and number ranges for internet access have been introduced as a result of public consultation. They are 1892 for pay-as-you-go access and 1893 for partial or full flat rate access. This brings to three the number of access codes dedicated to internet use. The existing 1891 code allows the customer to choose a mix of subscription charges and call charges depending on their pattern of use on the internet.

Regulator (and not regular, thanks to the fortress heads for pointing that out), Etain Doyle, has indicated that the existing 1890 shared-cost access code may also be suitable for use with pay-as-you-go services. The regulator said: "These dedicated internet access codes will open the way for development of new and innovate pricing models for internet access and should further stimulate the already strong growth in internet usage in Ireland.

"I believe that this framework allows for the future development of the internet market in Ireland and I would encourage operators to capitalise on it", she added. Operators wishing to develop products using these new access numbers will now negotiate priate (sic) interconnect arrangements with Eircom.

The regulator also recently issued a report on the implementation of local loop unbundling in Ireland which outlines key steps the ODTR plans to undertake over the coming months. The regulator's office says it intends to take steps to expedite the process through a number of procedures. They include an examination of the provision of information, further progress on a pricing assessment, process development and the invitation of proposals on types of unbundling.

The ODTR also made a number of licence changes over the last few weeks. CMI and Suir Nore Relays cancelled the general telecommunications licences they held following their acquisition by Prince Holdings. Prince Holdings is now listed under the terms of its licence as Chorus. A basic telecommunications licence was granted to Q0S Networks LTD in late February.

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And here's a link to an article in the Irish Times entitled Regulator sets Eircom access deadline

-Son of Blam

[This message has been edited by Son of Blam (edited 08-04-2001).]

Fidelis

He's great.

po0k

Amm...dunno about this but here goes...

how do u use these codes?
Do u put them before any Irish ISP number you dial, or just Eircom's???
and what is the pricing stucture, are they just trying to swine more cash out of me for some kind of minimum connection time??
Thanks.

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No-one ever suspects the Duck

Play Counterstrike.
Meet interesting people.
Kill them.
All of them.

Skeptic1

The idea is that if an ISP such as Esat wants to introduce a flat-rate service (or semi-flat-rate like nolimits) they can use these numbers. The big problem is that they have to negotiate a rate with the monopoly telco Eircom.

Given that Eircoms LLU pricing is still the one highest in the world, I wouldn't think this rate would be very attractive to ISPs. There is no incentive for Eircom to make this a low rate since there is no competition on the local loop.

Eircom: "Yeah, the minimum we can do is £87.50 per month."

Since most people think the "free" internet access they currently get is a good deal this access rate would have to be fairly low before another company would use their facilities.

Although this news is a couple of weeks old, I'm wondering what took the ODTR so long to carry out this weak measure. Does it mean that Eircom could not have offered a flat-rate prior to this move?

Quorthon

Dont expect its introduction any time soon. None of the competition seem to be able to get Eircom to agree to any kind of reasonable flat rate tariff per customer, and the ODTR is the most toothless regulatory body I have ever seen. Eircom have basically realised that since they effectively have no competition in the broadband arena since NTL's plans fell apart, that they might as well go on milking the leased lines/ISDN cash cow to prop up their results a little longer. The ODTR needs to act now and impose some penalties or force the LLU tariff through at a level it decides is reasonable.

hehe to think people laughed at me last June when I said I could take it no longer and was biting the ISDN bullet (I know its expensive but I could simply take 56k no longer).

Q