Website compares telecom costs

Consumers can now compare the cost of broadband and home phone services offered by telecoms operators on a website set up by the Communications Regulator (ComReg).

Callcosts.ie, which already allowed mobile customers to compare price plans, has been expanded to include three new calculators, which ComReg says will improve price transparency in the telecoms market and encourage competition between service providers.

Research by ComReg conducted among 1,000 consumers in June shows that 15 per cent of home phone owners switched providers at least once in the previous 12 months.

Only 21 per cent of landline holders are customers of companies other than Eircom, although in the business sector Eircom's rivals have a larger slice of the market.

Around 40 per cent of internet users have broadband access, ComReg said yesterday, and of those, 11 per cent switched provider in the previous 12 months.

Callcosts.ie allows consumers to enter in the details of their individual usage patterns before generating a list of available providers, ranked by cost. The details of over 80 home phone and broadband products and 37 mobile plans are on the site.

Consumers have the option to calculate the cost of "bundled" services, where landline and broadband are sold together in one package.

ComReg commissioner Mike Byrne said for some users the website showed that there were huge variations in prices.

"Operators have been upfront about their prices, but it can be very difficult for consumers to compare and contrast providers," he said. "As information becomes available, more consumers will switch. After that, customer service will determine whether they stay, or whether they switch again," Mr Byrne said.