Irish mobile phone penetration now stands at 67%, and Internet penetration at 27%, according to the latest quarterly figures released today by the telecoms regulator Etain Doyle.
The 67% mobile penetration rate compares with a figure of 54% from a survey in November 2000. There are now approximately 2.4 million mobile subscribers, with mobile lines continuing to exceed fixed lines as the preferred means of communication.
According to the survey over a million people now have home Internet access and 16% of people offline plan to get the Internet within a year.
By the end of December 2000, over 150,000 business and residential cutomers had used Carrier Pre-Selection (CPS)- which allows them to use a telco firm other than Eircom.
The regulator Etain Doyle said this 25% increase was a welcome indication of greater competition in the telecoms market. She noted that four out of five consumers believed the home telecoms market was more competitive than 12 months ago, and one out of seven consumers now used an operator other than Eircom.
Telecoms tariffs have become cheaper, with Ireland now ranked 9th out of 18 European countries, compared with 16th position last year.
Pre-paid mobiles remain the most popular type with over two thirds of users paying in advance for calls. Only 11% of mobile users have changed between Digifone or Eircell: with special offers, change of phones and better coverage cited as the main reasons.
Internet shopping remains relatively unpopular with over two thirds of those with home Internet access never purchasing anything online. The primary reason is lack of interest (26%), a feeling of insecurity (24%), and 18% who say they won't use their credit card over the internet.
The survey also showed that there are approximately 630,000 cable/MMDS subscibers in Ireland, up 2%, with over 1 million homes passed by the a cable service.
The telecoms sector is now estimated to account for 2.8% of GDP and employ 17,000 people. Total revenues in the telecoms and broadcasting markets are now worth over £2.26 billion anually.
