The telephone call pricing system should be overhauled at the same time as the introduction of the new telephone numbering system, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association. The ICMSA said it discriminated against people living outside the Dublin area.
Phone-users in the 01 area have access to more than 600,000 subscribers in the area at a local charge rate, according to Mr John O'Connor of the ICMSA.
In addition they have access to phone-users in areas adjacent to the 01 area, also at local call rate.
"In contrast a telephone user in a typical rural local charge area has access to only about 10,000 subscribers at the local call rate." He called for the enlargement of local call areas. "Given the relatively small size of Ireland there is absolutely no need for 120 separate local call areas, especially when 40 per cent of all subscribers are effectively within one local call area." He said the cost of a three-minute local call at present was 12p, a three-minute trunk call at the lower A rate was 30p and at the higher B rate it cost 45p. However, the low A rate applied to a low proportion of calls between major towns outside the 01 area. "For example a telephone-user in Tralee must pay at the high B rate for a call to any other major town excluding Killarney. The current short distance of 56km, or 33 miles, before the higher B rate applies is unrealistically low in the modern global communications era."
He said access to the same level of phone service at the same price should be a principle underlying a modern telecommunications pricing system.
The ICMSA would make a submission along these lines to the Director of Telecommunications Regulation.