Extra 34 firms apply to dig up Dublin roads

A report on disruption caused by service providers digging up Dublin's streets - especially telecommunications companies - is to be brought before the city council on Monday night.

In addition to detailing the current friction between the telecoms companies and Dublin Corporation, The Irish Times understands the report will suggest that the situation is likely to worsen as the former Cablelink, now NTL, seeks to separate its cables from Eircom ducting, in a move which could see disruption spreading to suburban estates.

The report was requested by the city council's north inner city area committee, after complaints from residents that some service providers were digging up the streets during the night to install communications cables.

The report also follows criticism by the Dublin city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, of the failure of the telecommunications companies to co-ordinate their digging activities more successfully. As reported yesterday, Mr Fitzgerald's criticism was expressed in a written reply to a question from council member Mr Tommy Broughan.

It revealed that there have been up to 11 cable companies involved in digging up the streets in the capital at one time, while it was also asserted that the corporation is potentially liable to applications from a further 34 companies for leave to open the roads.

The corporation said it is unable to refuse the applications, merely having a role in attempting to regulate the road openings. However, the legislation dates from 1863, which the corporation points out could not have envisaged the amount of disruption caused by cable laying.

Since last November a number of the main cable-laying companies under the umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators (ALTO) have sought to streamline their activities and met the corporation on a number of occasions, the latest being last Thursday.

A number of proposals have been put by the corporation. One is that the cable companies would lay additional ducting which they would then transfer to the corporation who would, in turn, allocate it to other companies. Yesterday, Mr David Hughes chief executive of Worldcom's Irish operations, expressed "surprise and disappointment" at the city manager's comments to Mr Broughan.

Mr Hughes said the telecoms companies were not adverse to sharing works, particularly as it was cost effective to do so.

Mr Joe Scully, for the corporation, said the city councillors were concerned because the rapid rate of deployment of new communications facilities often meant that the companies were working after hours and the disruption to constituents and traffic was severe.

There was, he said, the fear that the deregulation of other industries such as the electricity industry, would lead to a number of other service providers installing cables and competing for access to dig up the roads again.