ComReg issues rules on ‘home-zonal’ services

Ireland’s telecoms regulator the Commission For Communications Regulation (ComReg) has published new rules which allow the incumbent mobile operators to offer service plans under which customers can make wireless calls in and around their own homes at the cost of a landline call. The new rules on so-called ‘home-zonal’ services work by taking advantage of geographic numbers, until now the exclusive preserve of fixed line service providers, reports Telecomweb. Until now, Ireland has employed special non-geographic numbering codes for mobile services. Commenting on the announcement ComReg said: ‘A key condition of this allocation is that the prices charged to those availing of home-zonal services are set at fixed line rates, even though calls will be received on mobile handsets.’ The regulator hopes the new measures will increase competition between fixed and mobile operators and provide benefits to end users, such as increased flexibility and lower call costs.