Irish consumers are likely to be paying highest mobile telephone and line rental charges in the EU, according to a new survey by communications watchdog, ComReg published today.
The average revenue per user of a mobile phone in Ireland is €47.60, ComReg. The survey which covered 18 EU countries and Switzerland, found that the average revenue per user was "substantially higher than the EU average of €30.26".
German consumers pay less than half their Irish counterparts at €22.84.
The average cost of line rental in Ireland is €24.20 a month, more than €9 above the EU average and almost €6 more expensive than the second most expensive country.
Ireland also has the second highest domestic phone bills in the EU, with only Finland's proving more expensive.
Damien Mulley, Chairman of Ireland Offline, said it was time for a regulatory shake-up in Ireland.
"The latest ComReg report highlights the cataclysmic failures of the telecoms environment in Ireland which has seen prices continually increase and speed away from the EU average for line rental, mobile and landline costs," he said.
"ComReg are meant to be regulating this market and making sure consumers are getting value for money and they have totally and completely failed and now are trying to spin away their failures."
The watchdog's quarterly report also showed that broadband uptake had increased to 322,000 by end March this year. This is 32 per cent of all Internet subscribers - up from 19 per cent on last year.
It also showed increasing use of multi-media messaging on mobile phones in line with a general increase in SMS messaging of 13 per cent and call minutes of 16.5 per cent.