REGULATION: The telecoms regulator plans to offer licences to operate fixed wireless internet services on a first come first serve basis later this year, a consultation paper published this week shows.

The paper - Expanding opportunities in the radiocommunications market - proposes a new, more flexible, licensing regime for the services. Under the proposed scheme, each licence would cover a single fixed wireless base station and fees would be charged to operators on a per megahertz basis, with an initial spectrum cap.

The licences would be reviewed on an annual basis but only if the spectrum was in use by the time the renewal date was due. Regional and local wireless services would also be encouraged.

The framework is designed to encourage new entrants into the Irish market who would be able to offer broadband services to customers.

In the paper, telecoms regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, said the take-up of fixed wireless had been muted across Europe, but there may now be a business case for the services with lower equipment costs.

Views on the proposals should be submitted to the regulator by March 28th.

The full document is on the website, www.odtr.ie.