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11/01/2006
Ministers bid to resolve mobile phone charges
Enterprise Minister Angela Smith and the Republic's Minister for Communications, Noel Dempsey have today asked mobile phone companies to resolve the problem of inadvertent mobile roaming in border areas.
This has resulted in many cell phone users living close to the border, incurring international charges, particularly 'pay as you go' customers.
The Ministers have asked the telecommunications regulators in the North and South of Ireland to work with all phone companies to address this issue.
Speaking after a meeting between both ministers and regulators, Angela Smith said: "The update from the regulators on progress made in their engagement with the mobile phone operators identifies two potential solutions to the problem: one based on reducing incidents of inadvertent roaming through improving network coverage and the other focusing on specific tariffs for mobile phone users on the island of Ireland.
She added that the regulators had also been asked to identify any improvement in coverage in border areas and to explore in depth, any technical and legal barriers to potential solutions.
Noel Dempsey said: "Feedback from the Regulators indicates that some companies are investigating introducing special tariffs as a solution. It is our hope that the companies listen to their customers and develop a tariff-based solution.
"We welcome the engagement of the operators with the Regulators to date and have asked the Regulators to report back to us at the end of March with concrete actions to address this important issue."
The Ministers said they are expecting to see concrete progress on the issues of network coverage and tariffs by the end of March.
(EF/SP)
This has resulted in many cell phone users living close to the border, incurring international charges, particularly 'pay as you go' customers.
The Ministers have asked the telecommunications regulators in the North and South of Ireland to work with all phone companies to address this issue.
Speaking after a meeting between both ministers and regulators, Angela Smith said: "The update from the regulators on progress made in their engagement with the mobile phone operators identifies two potential solutions to the problem: one based on reducing incidents of inadvertent roaming through improving network coverage and the other focusing on specific tariffs for mobile phone users on the island of Ireland.
She added that the regulators had also been asked to identify any improvement in coverage in border areas and to explore in depth, any technical and legal barriers to potential solutions.
Noel Dempsey said: "Feedback from the Regulators indicates that some companies are investigating introducing special tariffs as a solution. It is our hope that the companies listen to their customers and develop a tariff-based solution.
"We welcome the engagement of the operators with the Regulators to date and have asked the Regulators to report back to us at the end of March with concrete actions to address this important issue."
The Ministers said they are expecting to see concrete progress on the issues of network coverage and tariffs by the end of March.
(EF/SP)
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