Yet another line rental increase imminent

dahamsta · 13-01-2004 5:59pm

Originally posted by Ripwave
Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence.

That's one of your favourites, ain't it Ripwave?

Ok, let's assume that the guy in Comreg is a moron so -- does IrelandOffline know what's in this delightfully woody metaphor?

adam

spongebob · 13-01-2004 6:05pm

Ripqwave said that the composition of the Basket is a state secret so only Eircom and Comreg 'know' it.

Another state secret is the result of the consultayion in late October on the USO and on a definition of "Functional Internet Accesss" which is supposed to be supported on all of these rather expensive lines.

Last I heard that definition was still 0k , thats what Eircom mean by 'basket', they charge the highest price in the whole of the EU for a basket case of a line.

m

vinnyfitz · 13-01-2004 6:52pm

on RTE radio Business news now 18.50

dahamsta · 13-01-2004 7:05pm

Keep missing these shows. What did Comreg's new fearless leader have to say for himself vinnyfitz?

dahamsta · 13-01-2004 7:11pm

http://adam.beecher.net/pheed/?thvbzx

ALTO, the Irish association representing alternative operators in the communications market, commented on Eircom's decision to increase line rental, calling the move a "blatant abuse of market power." The association has called on Minister for Communications, Dermot Ahern, to intervene. Meanwhile, consumer group Ireland Offline also weighed in on the move, with Chairman Christian Cooke saying, "It is blatantly apparent to the Irish consumer that Eircom is not serious about offering value for money."

vinnyfitz · 13-01-2004 7:13pm

He got off pretty lightly I'm afraid.
Said he wasn't justifying the increase but that it was in the context of the agreement with Eircom;
Regretted they did not release price changes at the same time so as to assist transparency;
promissed he'd keep price increases from Eircom below inflation for the next several years;
defended the overall record of prices going down 30 to 40% over the last few years.

Was not sufficiently pressed by RTE on the point that people have no option but to rent Eircom's lines. McRedmond in a separate piece had the nerve to say anyone can put thier own lines in the ground - that Eircon is not a monopoly here.!

Alto clip also played - strong cranky language employed.

Seems to me we really need to contest this principle that line rental is part of a basket. Why would Eircon apply any future price increases to anything other than line rental if they want to screw the most out of the market and ComReg accept that price increases within the basket can be configured however Eircom wishes?

Ripwave · 13-01-2004 7:47pm

Originally posted by vinnyfitz
Was not sufficiently pressed by RTE on the point that people have no option but to rent Eircom's lines. McRedmond in a separate piece had the nerve to say anyone can put thier own lines in the ground - that Eircon is not a monopoly here.!

I've asked this before and never got an answer. With 50,000 new homes being built every year, does anyone know why nobody else is supplying these wires? Does anyone know if there are any licensing provisions that prevent NTL, Chorus or ESAT, or anyone else for that matter, doing this?

wexfordman · 13-01-2004 7:50pm

Ripwave,

I would reckon its more down to the "economic feasibilty" of it!!!!, than any regulatory issues. (Seriously)

Wexfordman

dahamsta · 13-01-2004 7:54pm

Thanks for the report vinnyfitz.

promissed he'd keep price increases from Eircom below inflation for the next several years;

A very bold statement to make, one wonders how he can make it with such confidence. I hope Eircom and Comreg don't have some kind of agreement. Just in case though, I've just written it on the wall in front of me, in big black marker, with the date and Doherty's name underneath. Just as a reminder.

defended the overall record of prices going down 30 to 40% over the last few years.

Sorry John, but that won't fly with us. You can't weigh those price drops against a product that remains, bizarrely, almost completely in the hands of one company. When are you going to fix this John? When are these offensive, disgusting Eircom bills going to stop dropping on my poor doormat?

McRedmond in a separate piece had the nerve to say anyone can put thier own lines in the ground - that Eircon is not a monopoly here.!

I had this with an Eircom engineer only the other day. He said, quote: "Eircom installed all these lines, but any other company can come along and do the same." To which I replied: "I'll just correct you on one point there: Telecom Eireann installed all those lines, with our money. Not Eircom." He went on about Eircom investment in the network, and insisted that Eircom had invested substantial sums of money since. I didn't argue further, because the last time I got into an extended argument with an Eircom engineer I nearly gave the poor fecker a coronary. But the ailing copper he was trying to fix was proof enough for me.

Seems to me we really need to contest this principle that line rental is part of a basket.

Absolutely.

adam

Ripwave · 13-01-2004 8:09pm

Originally posted by dahamsta
"I'll just correct you on one point there: Telecom Eireann installed all those lines, with our money. Not Eircom."

This is why I've decided to only refer to reillycom in future on boards. It's important to break the attitude that so many people have that eircom is "our" telcoms company. It's not meant as a snide comment, and it isn't "jokey" or disparaging, but it's a fair comment and sends the message that we're not going to allow this private company to get away with pretending to be our national telco.

Ripwave · 13-01-2004 8:11pm

Originally posted by wexfordman
I would reckon its more down to the "economic feasibilty" of it!!!!, than any regulatory issues. (Seriously)

How can it be economically feasible for oreillycom to do it, and not economically feasible for anyone else?

Unless the real reason that Line rental has gone up so much in the last few years is because of the demand for new lines!

vibe666 · 13-01-2004 8:22pm

and the b@stards have the cheek to keep showing those adverts on TV of people wandering round merrion sq. saying how great oriellycom (kinda getting used to the new name, think it should stay) are and how they keep making things cheaper.

fvckers.

gurramok · 13-01-2004 8:36pm

We must complain to the ads watch body thing about misleading advertising by o'eircon

Otherwise pray for widespread wireless alternatives !

obewan · 13-01-2004 8:49pm

Well I suppose we all suspected that something was gonna happen when Eircon announced a price cut in BB charges. Even the mention of Eircon price cuts is practically blasphemy.

It would be a pity if their mail boxes both landline and email were flooded. :rolleyes:

Mick.

wexfordman · 13-01-2004 9:19pm

How can it be economically feasible for oreillycom to do it, and not economically feasible for anyone else?

Because €ircon likely have a nearer point of presence to these housing estates than any other provider. Its easy to cable a new estate, but how to connect that onto your backbone and to your nearest exchange is the problem, nuless you €IRCON and have a network cable running down every street in the country thanks to the taxpayer.

Wexfordman

(I'm not stalking you ripwave, honest

)

spongebob · 13-01-2004 10:44pm

Originally posted by Ripwave
I've asked this before and never got an answer. With 50,000 new homes being built every year, does anyone know why nobody else is supplying these wires?

Because Martin Cullen has done nothing about the recommendations to his department in this Report published 2 years ago.....which would ensure the provision of ducting to new developments thru which the wires could be pulled. The report is excellent and far sighted . Dermot Ahern is progressing his bit but Cullen is not. Point 47 explains how the government allocates funding nowadays. Point 48 is about the towns that will get fibre as announces in December 2003 .

Points 58-60 covers the missing bit , local ducting. Finger out Martin !

Does anyone know if there are any licensing provisions that prevent NTL, Chorus or ESAT, or anyone else for that matter, doing this?

All have the licences and some have WLL frequencies. Esat and Chorus have offered WLL in the past while NTL could have used their upgaded cable in SW Dublin to offer telephony, I am sure they have noted the fat line rental margins by now.

Money is the bigger problem ......but at €20 rental ex Vat for a line that may be found

M

dahamsta · 13-01-2004 11:00pm

Cullen hasn't a brain in his head, the eVoting debate proved that without a shadow of a doubt. I doubt you'd be able to explain telephones to him, never mind ducting. Lost cause.

adam

spongebob · 13-01-2004 11:17pm

let Ripwave after him ...... it'll keep his mind off rural Ireland for a while

M

bealtine · 14-01-2004 12:01am

publicity, publicity and more publicity.

Thats the only way to get to them, they have free advertising
every time they roll out McRedmond. He never actually answers
a question...

So instead of sitting round here thinking up stuff maybe its time
for a little action?
Something to get noticed by the media and get us onto
the front pages...

Whaddya think?

BigEejit · 14-01-2004 12:55am

There goes any hope that the new managment in Comreg would have more backbone than the old .... maybe IOFFL could send a picture of one to them, just so they'd know ... and possibly introduce them to the concept of adding the letters "N" and "O" together to create a word that they are seemingly unaware of....(with "fu*king way you muppets")

Originally posted by bealtine
Thats the only way to get to them, they have free advertising
every time they roll out McRedmond. He never actually answers
a question...

Tis true, any time the fu*ker opens his gob its all over the papers, radio and news, and whoever is interviewing must have some contract (or orders) not to ask any probing questions ....
Unfortunately any dissenting voice dosent seem to travel .... for instance, I didnt see that IOFFL press release anywhere other than here (didnt look very hard though it has to be said) ... this needs redressing, but its a very difficult proposition with people doing it parttime and that boll*x OReilly owning the media he does ....

Ripwave · 14-01-2004 12:59am

Originally posted by dahamsta
Cullen hasn't a brain in his head, the eVoting debate proved that without a shadow of a doubt.

Unfortunately, it's a bit like the Yellow Brick Road. The evoting issue simply demonstrates that you don't need to have a brain to be in Berties Cabinet.

dahamsta · 14-01-2004 8:48am

So what is it, john.doherty@comreg.ie?

http://www.spacesciencegroup.nsula.edu/sotw/newlessons/graphics/backbone1.jpg

bealtine · 14-01-2004 9:23am

quote:

Originally posted by dahamsta

So what is it, john.doherty@comreg.ie?

http://www.spacesciencegroup.nsula....s/backbone1.jpg

This post was brought to you by the letters 'N' and 'O'
and the numbers 2 and 4.

Cuauhtemoc · 14-01-2004 9:24am

From this mornings indo..

Eircom gets call to explain third hike in a year
Wednesday January 14th 2004

EIRCOM and telecoms watchdog ComReg are to be called before a Dail committee to explain why the phone company has been granted a third price increase in less than a year.

Last night it emerged that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will call on the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) and Eircom to explain the price increase.

Chairman Noel O'Flynn (FF) said the decision by Eircom to raise charges required an explanation and the committee would call for clarification from both ComReg and the company.

"There are questions to be asked here how they could justify the third increase in less than 12 months - it defies logic," he said.

"We have to seek clarity from ComReg in relation to the fixed line business. I would think the committee would be very concerned about the rise in telephone line rental charges, and would consider this is too important to put on the long finger."

Yesterday the company announced a monthly increase of €1.68 for line rental charges from February 4 next. This will bring the line rental charge to just over €24 a month, including VAT, the third increase in charges since the start of last year.

Eircom defended the hike, saying customer's phone bills would come in cheaper in 2004 than last year once inflation was taken into account.

The hikes emerged just 24 hours after the company announced a reduction in the cost of some broadband services. Sources in the Department of Communications said there was a "certain amount of annoyance" that broadband charges were reduced while fixed line rental was increased.

Eircom was "knocking people over the head", one said, adding that the cut in broadband was effectively being negated by the line rental increase.

And the increase will cost Irish telephone users an estimated €28m this year, Fine Gael claimed last night.

"Ireland is struggling to remain competitive as a destination for investment," Simon Coveney (FG) said. "The cost of telecommunications is a vital factor to Ireland's competitiveness. It is difficult not to question whether there is any connection between the reduction in wholesale broadband products and the increase in line rental charges."

Chairman of the Consumer's Association of Ireland, Michael Kilcoyne, said the company had already secured two increases in the past year, and "hard pressed consumers should not be asked to dip their hands in their pockets again".

Esat BT described the increase as "pretty staggering" - and if the rise was applied to other household bills, the "nation would be up in arms".

Mr_Man · 14-01-2004 11:38am

Had a conversation with Comreg this morning to highlight some of the points made in this thread

1) Using line rental hikes allows Eircom to undercut their competitors on call rates

2) 3 Increases and a) no single billing b) still allowed to insert pairgains c) 0k internet access.

On the last point the person I was talking to admitted that there was currently no defined rate but that they were negotiating with Eircom and by the end of the year hoped to have a rate which would be greater than what existed before, even perhaps higher than the UK's.

At this point I pointed out how lame Comreg had been in forcing Eircom to do anything and doubted that they would achieve anything. She said my concerns would be passed on to management. I can hardly wait

.

One thing I would suggest is that anyone who has not registered their opposition to this increase with Comreg should do so, they should be in no doubt about the depth of anger about this.

M.

Ripwave · 14-01-2004 11:43am

Originally posted by Cuauhtemoc
Chairman Noel O'Flynn (FF) said the decision by Eircom to raise charges required an explanation and the committee would call for clarification from both ComReg and the company.
...
And the increase will cost Irish telephone users an estimated €28m this year, Fine Gael claimed last night.

"Ireland is struggling to remain competitive as a destination for investment," Simon Coveney (FG) said. "The cost of telecommunications is a vital factor to Ireland's competitiveness. It is difficult not to question whether there is any connection between the reduction in wholesale broadband products and the increase in line rental charges."

Talk about not seeing the woods for the trees.

Valentia took €446 million in cash out of the company as a "dividend" last year.

The total amount of income that oreillycom receives in Line rental is LESS than the amount that was taken out of the company last year.

100,000 Broadband lines at a retail price of €33 (plus VAT) per month, will generate less that €40 million in revenue in a year. Broadband is a distraction. Oreillycom would love to have been able to amke both announcements on the same day, but even when they're made over two days, you're playing right into their hands by somehow linking broadband "cuts" and Line Rental increases. That's exactly what oreillycom want you to do, so that you'll ignore the elephant hiding in the corner.

mike65 · 14-01-2004 12:04pm

Originally posted by Mr_Man

One thing I would suggest is that anyone who has not registered their opposition to this increase with Comreg should do so, they should be in no doubt about the depth of anger about this.

M.

Curiously I can't find an e-mail addy for direct interface with comreg about comreg....wonder why.

Mike.

Valentia · 14-01-2004 12:45pm

Joe Duffy is doing a big thing on this today. I going to be on. They rang me yesterday but didn.t get to it till today.

1850 715815

Get crackin.

I'm going to be talking about the Comreg agreement, split lines and no required standard for your money. Knowing me when I start there'll be a few dozen more things thrown in.

We can have a "spot Valentia" competition!

wexfordman · 14-01-2004 12:51pm

The total amount of income that oreillycom receives in Line rental is LESS than the amount that was taken out of the company last year.

100,000 Broadband lines at a retail price of €33 (plus VAT) per month, will generate less that €40 million in revenue in a year. Broadband is a distraction. Oreillycom would love to have been able to amke both announcements on the same day, but even when they're made over two days, you're playing right into their hands by somehow linking broadband "cuts" and Line Rental increases. That's exactly what oreillycom want you to do, so that you'll ignore the elephant hiding in the corner.

JUst doing some sums here, someone point out where I'm worng (no way am I going to say I'm right just so I can have ye all tell me I'm not).

Cost of Increased line rental is estimated to cost consumers 28million this year (as above post)

Recent reduction in eircom BB (retail) from 54 to 40 euros, means saving of €168 per cust.
100,000 BB cust aim for €ircon, means BB price reduction costs €ircon €16.8 million (wow!!!)

€28mill - €16.8mill = €11.2 mill for €ircons coffers. (I know there is some VAT here too, but still.....)

€uess who's laughing all the way to the bank this week.

Wexfordman

dahamsta · 14-01-2004 12:56pm

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/afternoon/liveline/

IrelandOffline members rarely have an opportunity to hit the mainstream media hard on these issues, so you should take maximum advantage and show RTE just how contentious this one is. Get calling, emailing and texting straight away and tell them just how ticked off you are, it won't take but a minute and you never know, you might even get on the radio. Come on now, flood them lines, take over the programme, force McRedmond onto the air with IrelandOffline!

adam

spongebob · 14-01-2004 12:58pm

Here in PDF format.

Voicemail charges have also risen.

The new BB charges are not there yet .....

Valentia · 14-01-2004 1:11pm

Comreg are going to be on Liveline!

GerKavanagh · 14-01-2004 1:12pm

Ok, let's assume that the guy in Comreg is a moron so -- does IrelandOffline know what's in this delightfully woody metaphor?

It's amazing that everyone is taking an interest now that eircom have anounced an increase in line rental. Where was everyone when comreg had a public consultation on this?
As far as I'm concerned eircom should not have been allowed a price increase and I voiced my concerns in the public consultation, what have any of ye done? Comreg published their decision notice months ago so why are any of ye surprised that this has happened?
If I we're you I would read up on this instead of voicing opinions which are too little too late!
It seems proactivity is your middle name!

MDR · 14-01-2004 1:19pm

Fair enough point as far it goes,

Most of the IrelandOffline committee has answered a few COMREG consultations in our time, which amounts to quite a few for a voluntary organistation. We collectively came to the conculsion that our time was more wisely invested in lobbying the various government departments involved as this seemed to produce more results. Responding t0 the various COMREG consultations represented a significant drain on our resources for precious little return.

The put the point mildly, we found COMREG at best un-responsive to the concerns of the consumer. Perhaps we should re-examine this under the tenure of Mr. O'Doherty ... :dunno:

patrickmooney · 14-01-2004 1:26pm

Whats really annoys me is when Esat BT launched their Eur25 a month flat rate deal, Eircom said no-one would save - why? - because the average household spend on calls a month is less then Eur20. Take the average Eircom Customer, spending Eur10 a month on calls only. 1 year ago, line rental was just Eur16 a month. Therefore they would pay Eircom Eur26 a month. Assume this customer leaves Eircom, with the new line rental, they will have to pay almost Eur25 a month without making a single phone call - Eircom are still profiting......grrrrr

Ripwave · 14-01-2004 1:35pm

Originally posted by GerKavanagh
Where was everyone when comreg had a public consultation on this?
As far as I'm concerned eircom should not have been allowed a price increase and I voiced my concerns in the public consultation, what have any of ye done?

Other than making you feel good about getting it off your chest, do you think your contribution made any difference? (I'm not nit-picking. I genuinely want to know. Did you get a response from ComReg. Were your concerns reflected in the Decision notice? Or were you comments filed in the "not another f*cking consumer" file, which seems to be the tome of almost any communication between ComReg and consumers).

wexfordman · 14-01-2004 1:41pm

I'm with utvipxl and I just got my bill of 79quid for the month (inc 10 eruo utv package). THat on top of 24quid rental, makes me spend over 1200 euro on landline only per year. I was going to go to EsatBT, but just broke down the calls (as Esatbt offer only includes landline, and excludes internet), here goes:-

Landline calls 28euros (could have saved 3 quid on this with Esat BT)
02 Mobile numbers 31 quid
Vodavone Mobile NUmbers 8 quid
Internet (21hours at 10 euro flat fee)
Other (international) 3quid
Rental (now 24quid).

1200 quid a year, I can take a hit out on someone for that!!!!!!! Who was saying prices have fallen by 40%

Wexfordman

bealtine · 14-01-2004 1:42pm

quote:

Originally posted by GerKavanagh

It's amazing that everyone is taking an interest now that eircom have anounced an increase in line rental. Where was everyone when comreg had a public consultation on this?

Well they tend to ignore everyting except what that poor little broke
oreillycom wants...
I responded to the consultation and got some standard crap
back and it was promptly ignored...

It (Comreg) is simply a "rubber stamping operation" for oreillycom

Ripwave · 14-01-2004 1:42pm

Originally posted by patrickmooney
Whats really annoys me is when Esat BT launched their Eur25 a month flat rate deal, Eircom said no-one would save - why? - because the average household spend on calls a month is less then Eur20.
Do you have a reference for this? (I'm not questioning you, I'd just love to be able to provide this info to people in the media who might get to talk to someone from oreillycom).

Take the average Eircom Customer, spending Eur10 a month on calls only. 1 year ago, line rental was just Eur16 a month.

It was €16.20 plus VAT, the customer paid €19.60 per month. It'll be 23% higher from February 4th.

MarkR · 14-01-2004 1:53pm

Originally posted by dahamsta
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/afternoon/liveline/

Anyone else getting an error message connecting?

Valentia · 14-01-2004 1:53pm

Jazus I didnt get much time but at least, Ripwave, I got the instrument in. They told me to hang on and then cut me off. ****!!!

Valentia

Moriarty · 14-01-2004 2:14pm

You got info across well Valentia, well done

mike65 · 14-01-2004 2:31pm

Originally posted by MarkR
Anyone else getting an error message connecting?

Server has reached its capacity and can serve no more streams. Please try again later.

We've crashed RTE!

Mike.

Xian · 14-01-2004 10:40pm

Originally posted by Ripwave
Other than making you feel good about getting it off your chest, do you think your contribution made any difference? (I'm not nit-picking. I genuinely want to know. Did you get a response from ComReg. Were your concerns reflected in the Decision notice?

From experience, I have found that the consultation process generally goes as follows:

The Regulator decides to do something
A consultation is issued
Responses are misquoted, ignored or gleaned for free consultation
The Regulator issues a Decision Notice "deciding" to do what it originally decided

As an example of the topsy turvy world of the Communications Regulator, the VUS was negotiated and implemented while it was under consultation (as part of the USO consultation)!:rolleyes:

spongebob · 14-01-2004 11:16pm

Originally posted by Xian
As an example of the topsy turvy world of the Communications Regulator, the VUS was negotiated and implemented while it was under consultation (as part of the USO consultation)!:rolleyes:

I further recall that the Comreg reply to consultation (while Comreg was busy defining the Irish version of "Functional Internet Access" at 0k) also mentioned that ALL users ...not just the vulnerable ones..... had a right to "Control Expenditure", instead the user has a right to pay €ircon another €5 a month on top of the €24 line rental in order to buy that right. The consultation response from Comreg Here is an interesting and very long winded historical document. It was Etains finest hour for complete sh1te extrusion and the current chair , Doherty , colluded fully with this farrago lest we forget. Page 55 - 58

Control of Expenditure
• Selective Call Barring: the ability of the subscriber to bar outgoing calls of
defined types or to defined numbers free of charge.

Commission’s Position
Whilst the Universal Service Directive specifically refers to premium services as an
example of high priced calls, it also acknowledges that the measures referred to may
need to be reviewed and changed in light of market developments. In the past, calls to premium rate numbers may have given most cause for concern in terms of control of expenditure, ComReg is mindful that other call types also lead to control of
expenditure concerns for consumers.
The Future Framework for the Regulation of Universal
Service in the Irish Telecommunications Market
Recent research9 undertaken by ComReg shows that of those who currently avail of
call barring to control expenditure, 42% bar mobile calls as opposed to 28% for
premium rate services. ComReg is aware that at present the facility to bar mobile calls
without having to also bar national calls is not available. This means that the flexibility
of users to selectively bar certain call types is restricted. ComReg considers that the
barring of calls to mobiles should be available in isolation from other defined calls
types e.g. national. ComReg considers that demand for mobile call barring would be
greatly increased if it were to be isolated from national calls and many consumers
would benefit from the ability to control their expenditure on these types of calls. The
ability to selectively bar mobile calls in isolation is provided by the majority of
universal service providers across Europe.
The introduction of an unbundled mobile call barring product may require the
resolution of technical difficulties. Indeed, Comreg is aware that the issue of call
barring (and eircom’s capabilities in this regard) is being discussed by the industry in
the context of the introduction of Wholesale Line Rental (WLR) and the availability of
corresponding wholesale call barring products.

IN ENGLISH it means that ALL customers should be able to bar calls to Mobiles free of charge and to Premium numbers free of charge . Yet Comreg allows €ircon to charge €25 setup and €5 a month for mobile call barring ......which then restricts the user to local calls only . Comreg have accepted that the facility shoiuld be there free as in other EU countries but they have done nothing about it .....there is some sh1te about Wholesale Line Rental (aka Single Billing) which has also disappeared form the regulatory map.

Funnily enough the Rental price rise in June 2003 was supposed to pay €ircon for single billing and the VUS at the same time and we got less than nothing.

A month later Comreg published the final USO and took their 'position' above and the 'Right' to 'Control Expenditure' and shoved them where the sun don't shine on the Telecoms market. Useless Bastards .

/me wonders if that means we are all vulnerable now :mad: ?

M

Xian · 15-01-2004 12:38am

Originally posted by GerKavanagh
As far as I'm concerned eircom should not have been allowed a price increase and I voiced my concerns in the public consultation, what have any of ye done? Comreg published their decision notice months ago so why are any of ye surprised that this has happened?
If I we're you I would read up on this instead of voicing opinions which are too little too late!

At the time of the last consultation (02/96, submission date January 10th, 2003), we had the Response to Ahern's Draft Directive to ComReg and the USO consultation to deal with. As the consultation on line rental dealt with a wider scope than was within our remit, dealing as it did with line rental in general, it didn't afford as high a precedence as the others at the time.

That said, the consultation was couched in strong enough terms to be optimistic as to its outcome:

"eircom has the opportunity to tackle efficiency issues. ... this price cap would run for 3 years, but may be reviewed earlier if special circumstances warrant ... it may be well to signal that failure to tackle this effectively could be such an issue. "

The loaded term in this debate has not been "basket". It's "efficiency". Back then, "efficiency" would have been interpreted in the context of the investigation by Prof. Bill Melody:

"[Eircom] should not be compensated for its bloated workforce and poor network... [Eircom's] high level of inherited inefficiency meant it could earn greater than normal profits from productivity improvements. The greater the inefficiency, the more scope there is for productivity improvement" (Sunday Business Post, June 8 2003).

In the meantime, "efficiency" has been interpreted by ComReg to be any sop (WLR, VUS etc., real or immaginary) Eircom choose to plug to get another increase. I suppose it was a bit naÃ¯ve to expect otherwise, that the Odd Couple, Butch-Femme relationship that is Eircom and The Regulator could have been any different (the fact that it's no longer Etain in the submissive position adds a lurid aspect to it).

As an aside, Ger, I note in the introduction to 02/98:

The director is disappointed that there were no responses from consumer representatives,

I suppose you didn't answer to all of them. Persistence is the key. Persistence!

Yet another line rental increase imminent

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