The Government plans to raise millions of euro by leasing sites on public buildings to communications companies that want to erect mobile phone masts.
All 1,800 properties managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) will be considered for the new national strategy. This includes buildings used by central Government departments, heritage sites and even a handful of schools.
The OPW advertised yesterday, seeking proposals from telecoms consultants to provide an independent assessment of its sites. The advert shows the sites will be considered for a range of mobile technologies including third-generation (3G) mobile technology, mobile hot spots and existing GSM mobile technology.
A spokesman for the OPW said the entire property portfolio would be reviewed for its suitability as a location for mobile phone masts.
The State's property portfolio should provide attractive locations for the new entrant to the Irish mobile market, Hutchison 3G Ireland. The company plans to introduce 3G mobile services next year and will need multiple sites to establish a viable 3G network.
Mr Daragh Stokes, managing director of telecoms consultancy Hardiman Communications, said the Government could raise millions from its property portfolio.
"The rental value of the sites may depend on the type of service that is offered, whether it is just voice telephony or video streaming," he said. "Sites could raise between €12,000 and €40,000 per year, depending on location."
However, another industry source, who did not want to be named, said the Government may have missed the boat by not establishing a national strategy until now. He said mobile firms had already built 4,000 sites, limiting potential demand for the new State sites.
The OPW also confirmed it was reviewing a controversial multimillion euro deal struck between the mobile phone company O2 and the Garda in 1998.
This deal gave O2, formerly Esat Digifone, exclusive access to 184 Garda masts throughout the State, helping it to build out its national network.
Certain elements of the Garda and OPW 1998 deal, including the amount that O2 should pay for access to each site, are under arbitration.
Neither the Garda, the OPW nor O2 would disclose the amount of money that O2 has paid under this deal so far. But it is believed the OPW review will consider whether the O2 deal gets the best value for money for the Government and the Garda.
The OPW spokesman said he could not predict the review's outcome.
An O2 spokeswoman said the deal was welfare enhancing for the Garda. The firm had spent about €12 million developing and upgrading the Garda's mast infrastructure, which was entirely owned by the State, she added.
But the Government's plan to use its property portfolio as sites for mobile phone masts is likely to prove controversial given continuing health concerns about the technology. Scores of mobile phone action groups have been set up across the State in the past 10 years to oppose the establishment of masts close to urban areas. There have also been some instances of intimidation and sabotage against mobile antennae.
