The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is the general communications regulator for the Republic of Ireland, covering almost all possible types of communications.
Founded on December 1st2002, ComReg took over from the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation, amongst other bodies. That body was established in 1997 to take over the licencing and regulatory functions of the Minister for Communications. The first (and only) Director of Telecommunications Regulation was Etain Doyle, she was subsequently appointed Chairperson of ComReg.
Under the Communications (Regulation) Act 2002, the Minister for Communications, Marine, and Natural Resources appoints the chairperson and up to two other commissioners of ComReg. Currently the commissioners are John Doherty (Chair) and Iseult Goggin.
Sectors regulated by ComReg include post, telecoms, internet, cable television, terrestrial television, radio and domain names. They set prices, allocate frequencies, and issue licences to those involved in these sectors. In relations to terrestrial television and radio, the commission acts in conjunction with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, which grants programme contracts to radio and television stations, other than those operated by RT which currently includes TG4, leaving only TV3 under its control.
In September 2004, ComReg launched their consumer driven website, AskComreg. Please see the links below.
However, ComReg, which was established in December 2002, replaced the ODTR and has remained the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the communications sector since then.
Just last week, ComReg released its latest quarterly report, which revealed that almost 84,000 new broadband subscriptions were added during the first quarter of 2007, to bring the total number of high-speed internet users in Ireland to 602,000.
While Minister Ryan was on hand to pay tribute to ComReg, he acknowledged that the next 10 years are likely to be as troublesome for the organisation as its first decade was.
ComReg found that the market for voice call termination services on mobile phone networks in Ireland was not competitive and has decided that four operators: Vodafone, O2, Meteor and 3 should each be designated with significant market power on their own networks.
ComReg has also concluded that mobile voice call termination rates in Ireland need to be cost-oriented and is proposing a number of ways to reduce voice call termination charges to efficient operator levels.
ComReg, in coming to its conclusions, is taking into account that Vodafone and O2 have already committed to voluntary reductions in their termination rates and that IrelandÂ’s mobile termination rates are low in comparison to other EU countries.
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