Telecoms road works curtailed

Legislation to curtail road works and disruption to traffic by telecoms companies, was passed in the Dáil yesterday. The Communications Regulation Bill will mean that operators will have to get permission from road authorities before they open roads for laying cables. Under existing laws, they had the right to open roads, subject only to notification.

The legislation, which expands the role and powers of the telecommunications regulator to a three-person Commission, also dramatically increases fines for breaches of telecommunications licensing rules, from €1,900 to €4 million or 10 per cent of the operator's turnover.

This was a "significantly enhanced enforcement mechanism", the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, said.

The increased fines would help the Commission to enforce its decisions in "today's rapidly evolving communications sector".