The Republic should look to the price structures of other EU states with similar population structures in deciding on a price regime for unbundling the local loop, the European Information Society Commissioner, Mr Erkki Liikanen, has said.

Mr Liikanen was speaking after addressing a conference on "Regionalisation in the Knowledge Economy" in Ennis, Co Clare, yesterday. He said the "total picture" in the Republic for telecoms was good but other states such as Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark were ahead in the liberalisation process, and had published prices on opening local networks to competition.

The Nordic countries were similar to the Republic in being sparsely populated, he added, suggesting they would be a guide in deciding on local network access charges. Mr Liikanen added that it was a matter for the regulator, the incumbent operator and new entrants in the Republic to find a fast solution to the price question. "I think in this area, I do not want to interfere."

In his address, he said that following the unbundling of the local loop, he expected to see the rapid emergence of competition in flat-fee, high-speed Internet-based ADSL technology.

Following a question from the floor from Mr Philip O'Reilly, an Ennis-based estate agent, on the high cost of mobile charges for small business, Mr Niall O Donnchu, of the Department of Public Enterprise, said it was "of major concern". Mr Michael Byrne, chief executive, Eircom Information Age Town, said that in the move towards a third generation mobile operator, charges would be of increasing relevance. "Whether it is a monopoly or a duopoly, that certainly needs to be checked out."