EC Telecoms Market Commissioner Viviane Reding:

You cannot have a knowledge based economy if large parts of society don’t have broadband.

This quote, in the context of yet another EC report has re-confirmed just how poor broadband services and competition are in Ireland. It also largely calls into question our government’s assertion that they are really building a knowledge based economy.

Who is to blame? The toothless COMREG don’t seem to be capable of doing anything to drive competition (apparently the maximum fine they can impose on a telco is 3,000 euro - is that true?) and the EU report calls for further reform.

I think the is unfair to pick on the fixed line broadband services only though. Voice services in Ireland are also crap, they should have highlighted that too. And don’t get me started on mobile data services.

No doubt the government will just rename COMREG to something else, ignore the report completely or promise that it’ll be better next year, after the election.