Meteor, the State's third mobile phone company, is seeking a roaming agreement with Vodafone or O2 that would enable it to use their networks in rural areas, increasing Meteor's coverage.

The firm said yesterday it had asked the Commission for Communications Regulation to intervene in its negotiations with the two operators. If necessary, it said it wanted the commission or the Government to enforce a deal to promote competition.

Mr Andrew Kelly, Meteor director of corporate affairs, said the deal could work in a similar fashion to international roaming agreements and there would be no additional charges for consumers.

He said the deal would work best if it was a reciprocal agreement that would enable Vodafone and O2 to use Meteor's network in areas where theirs are congested.

The proposed deal would enable Meteor to slow down or stop the roll-out of its network in rural areas such as Donegal, where it has yet to establish mobile phone base stations. This would save Meteor millions of euros in network construction costs and would also have an environmental benefit as it would reduce the number of masts in rural areas.

But O2 and Vodafone are unlikely to favour the proposal, which would vastly increase Meteor's rural coverage, making it more attractive to users.

Meteor, with just 4 per cent market share, has encountered problems persuading potential customers that its coverage is adequate for their requirements. Mr Kelly said Meteor now had 85 per cent population coverage.