Communications regulator ComReg has announced reductions of up to 50% in Local Loop Unbundling Process charges.
ComReg says these reductions are part of a wide ranging review of Local Loop Unbundling products that ComReg is currently conducting. As part of this process, ComReg has directed Eircom on the new prices, which will become effective from February 1, 2005.
The regulator says the new prices will result in 'significant reductions' for other telecoms operators. The price for each connection will fall by over 50% from February from €121.52 to €58.
This will further fall to €55 per connection when volumes of orders exceed 50,000 lines and to €49 per connection when over 100,000 orders have been completed.
In a statement ComReg said that recent European experience illustrates that the provision of broadband and new innovative products can drive LLU take-up.
Local loops are the copper wires connecting homes and businesses to their nearest telephone exchange. Local Loop Unbundling is the process whereby operators other than Eircom take control of these loops by renting them from Eircom in order to provide broadband and voice services to their customers.
