The Director of Telecommunications Regulation, Ms Etain Doyle, has said she is "delighted" at the progress made just one year after she took up office.

Ms Doyle, issuing her 50th formal document as regulator - on extending choice for consumers - said she was "delighted at just how quickly and how far things have moved on and how many objectives are already coming to fruition".

Meanwhile, Telecom Eireann has reduced the interconnect rates it charges to competitors. Interconnect rates are charges to telecommunications operators for calls delivered over the Telecom network. With effect from October 1st, the rates will average between 1p and 1.7p per minute, down from 1.5p and 2.5p, according to Telecom. On average, 70 per cent of all interconnect calls will now cost 1p per minute.