Communications regulator ComReg last night published its findings on the future of the universal service obligation. This is the obligation that requires Eircom, the designated universal service provider, to provide fixed line telephone services to every home in the country which wants one.
ComReg is proposing a number of changes in the obligations imposed on Eircom. It will still require Eircom to provide printed phone directories to all users, but there will be no absolute obligation on the company to provide directory enquiry services. ComReg's Dermot Nolan told RTE this morning that this was because there were now three operators in this market.
ComReg's report said payphones were still a valuable service, and were important to the immigrant community, and so Eircom would have to continue to maintain a network of payphones.
The regulator is also imposing obligations on Eircom relating to services for people with a disability. These include braille billing and translation of voice messages into text. ComReg also intends to set up a forum for all telecoms firms to get together with representatives of disabled users to come up with services to satisfy these customers.
