The communications regulator ComReg has told an Oireachtas Committee examining the Irish mobile phone market that mobile phone charges in Ireland are amongst the highest in the world.
The average price paid per minute by an Irish phone user is well above the European average and prices found in the UK, where Irish operators O2 and Vodafone both have operations.
ComReg told the committee that although there had been significant reductions in mobile charges over the years, helped by the entry of Meteor to the market, average Irish retail prices were amongst the highest internationally.
Irish mobile companies have consistently denied that Irish users are over-charged for use of their mobile phones, arguing that Irish bills are higher because Irish usage is higher.
