Another milestone on the route to achieving a competitive local loop unbundling (LLU) situation for licensed telecoms operators wishing to offer consumers broadband was reached yesterday when Eircom reduced co-location charges for operators who install their equipment in exchanges in order to offer broadband by 17pc.
Eircom yesterday published a revised pricing scheduling for co-location whereby prices have been reduced by approximately 17pc.
The move was welcomed by ComReg which said that the new prices coupled with other recent initiatives relating to LLU will help to further stimulate broadband market competition.
However, a spokesman for ComReg told siliconrepublic.com that the legal battle surrounding the automation of LLU is still an ongoing matter, with a further hearing in the High Court scheduled for 28 April.
He explained that that the reduction in co-location charges was only one facet of a larger, ongoing process whereby operators can access local exchanges and provide full broadband related services independent of Eircom.
Co-location charges are charged to operators who install their equipment in Eircom exchanges in order to provide broadband through LLU.
ComReg initiated a process in the past year to facilitate the rollout of competitive broadband services, which involves a review of Eircom’s prices for co-location associated with LLU.
By John Kennedy
