Over 40,000 mobile phone users change provider

More than 40,000 people have changed their mobile phone provider since number portability was introduced in July, according new figures.

The data also shows that 83 per cent of the Republic's population now own a mobile.

Meteor seems to have benefited most from the new system of number portability, which enables people to switch providers but keep their number.

The third mobile operator has increased market share to 5 per cent, up a single percentage point on the last quarter, according to the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

ComReg's quarterly report for the three months to the end of September 2003 shows Vodafone's market share is unchanged at 56 per cent, compared to the previous quarter. O2's market share fell a single percentage point to 39 per cent. However, all the firms increased their subscriber base during the quarter as the overall mobile market grew.

There are now 3.2 million subscribers in the Republic, representing an increase of 200,000 on the same quarter last year. The figures show 83 per cent of Irish people own a mobile phone.

Despite the introduction of number portability this year, mobile phone tariffs remain stubbornly high compared to many other European countries. Figures supplied by ComReg show Irish prices for medium and high users of mobile services are ranked 12th and 13th out of the 15 European Union member-states.

Mobile tariffs for pre-paid consumers slipped from third to fourth in the EU rankings.

ComReg's quarterly report also shows that, at the end of October, there were about 30,000 subscribers to flat-rate internet access products, an increase of 6,500 from the previous quarter.

Flat-rate internet access enables consumers to dial up to the internet for a set fee rather than paying for internet usage on a per minute basis. The report says there are now more than 2,000 orders per week being recorded by telecoms providers such as UTV, Eircom and Esat BT.

However, the uptake of DSL services, which offer consumers "always on" high-speed internet access remains poor when compared to other European States.

Just 13,350 DSL lines had been installed by the end of September, an increase of 7,350 on the previous quarter. The report notes that orders are now being placed at 1,000 lines per week.

However, it also highlights that the Republic has among the highest monthly rental costs for DSL in the EU.