What Happened?

ComReg‌ issued an ‘Urgent Interim Measures’ notice‍ to Eircom on Monday, ‍October 16, 2023,​ requiring the company to cease its promotional campaign with immediate effect.​ The promotion, launched the previous ⁢Monday, October 9, 2023, offered new fibre broadband ⁣customers a €50 gift card. comreg determined the promotion lacked prior authorization adn was designed to be geographically⁣ targeted, with plans to distribute‌ leaflets to 77,464 eircodes ⁢across Ireland.

The​ regulator’s concern stemmed from the potential for the promotion to give Eircom an ‌unfair advantage in the market, specifically benefiting its retail division, Eir, at the expense of other telecommunications providers who utilize Open‌ eir’s wholesale network.

ComReg’s Directives

The ‘Urgent Interim Measures’ notice mandated several ⁢actions from ‍Eircom:

• Deactivate‍ the registration link for​ the promotion on its website.
• Stop the distribution of⁣ leaflets and all related marketing materials.
• ensure‌ all wholesale partners and agents immediately cease advertising the⁤ offer.

ComReg clarified that customers who registered for the⁤ promotion before the notice was ‍issued would still be‌ eligible to receive the €50 gift​ card.

Eircom’s Response

A⁤ spokesperson for Eir stated the company⁢ is actively complying with ComReg’s notice and will cooperate fully with the regulator in accordance with the outlined procedures. As of October 20, 2023,‍ Eir has not publicly‌ commented further on the specifics of the promotion or the⁢ reasons for ComReg’s intervention.

Open eir’s Infrastructure

Open eir, Ireland’s largest wholesale ⁣telecommunications provider, ​has invested €1.7 billion in recent years to expand⁢ its​ fibre broadband ​network. As of June 2023, Open eir reported surpassing 1.4 million homes and businesses connected to‌ its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband‌ network.This extensive infrastructure is utilized by numerous retail providers, ‌making fair competition a key concern for ComReg.