THE cost of telephone calls in Ireland will in future be decided by an independent regulator, the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications said yesterday.
Deciding on pricing will be only one of the duties of the new regulator, who will also "ensure fair play for all companies in the sector" and oversee the liberalisation of the telecommunications market, Mr Lowry said.
The Government has approved a draft Bill to establish an interim regulatory authority which it expects to be enacted by the end of the year. In early 1997, however, the interim body will be replaced by a "super-regulator" who will be responsible for all utilities.
In a statement yesterday, the Department said the new regulatory authority would be independent of the Government, Minister and operating companies in the sector.
The authority will also be responsible for implementing a "Universal Service" scheme and will also manage the nation's radio frequency spectrum.