Surprise announcement from Ireland:
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FRIDAY JUNE 5 1998ÿÿTelecomsÿ
IRELAND: Wave of interest likely in telecoms
By John Murray Brown in Dublin
Ireland's decision last month to open its telecommunications market to full competition from December, a year earlier than planned, could tempt a wave of new international companies, according to British Telecom's Irish operation, which yesterday unveiled details of a Iœ80m ($113m) joint venture.
George McGrath, chief executive of BT's 50:50 joint venture with Electricity Supply Board (ESB), the Irish Republic's state owned power utility, said it was revising its own plans in the light of the surprise announcement that restrictions on public switched voice services would be lifted by the end of the year.
Ireland made its decision after complaints about pricing policies by Karel Van Miert, the EU competition commissioner.
Telecom Eireann (TE), the state majority-owned operator, accounts for 90 per cent of the Irish telecommunications market. Esat Telecom, a privately owned company listed on Nasdaq in the US, has a fixed line business and also competes with TE in the mobile market.
The change will mean BT will be free to serve residential customers using its planned fibre optic network, making use of ESB's microwave system to replace lines now leased from TE.>>>> |
