The consumer lobby group on technology, IrelandOffline, has announced that it is to close down while warning that further telecoms reform is needed.
In a statement, the group's Chairman, Damien Mulley, said that its present committee wished to take a break and could not find enough people to replace it.
Mr Mulley said that because of a better attitude towards consumer from eircom, more exchanges getting enabled, local loop unbundling starting to work and the national broadband tender, it was easier for the group to step away from its campaigning.
He added that the group's online discussion board would remain open.
Mr Mulley said that the cost of flat-rate dialup Internet access for people without broadband and reform of the telecommunications regulator, ComReg, were the two outstanding issues the group most wants to be addressed.
'While the cost of broadband access goes down, those on dialup are paying more and more as they stay online longer to do the simplest of tasks such as emailing and browsing,' Mr Mulley said.
'With so many viruses these days, more dialup users are spending their online time downloading security patches and other updates. Broadband users have all this going on in the background on an always-on connection.'
Group calls for greater competition
Mr Mulley also said that IrelandOffline believed ComReg has been a massive obstacle and not a driver of telecoms reform.
He said that Ireland has the highest line rental, the highest mobile phone bills and a very poor ranking in broadband tables, blaming a lack of competition in the market.
He also claimed that the regulator has a habit of settling court cases on the steps of the court and then withdrawing its own regulations.
Notwithstanding this criticism, Mr Mulley said credit was due to some very progressive people in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, ComReg, and many of the telecom companies that have done good work in trying to improve things.
Click here to read RTÉ.ie's '10 questions for... Damien Mulley'
