Vodafone Ireland Limited, part of the Vodafone Group, is currently the largest mobile phone company in Ireland in terms of active subscribers, and was previously called Eircell. The mobile phone system in use is a digital GSM 900 system, and also a third-generation UMTS system (the first such 3G system in the Republic of Ireland; see communications in Ireland). The company offers email in addition to mobile phone products and services. The company's "pay as you go" mobile phone product is called Ready to Go, previously advertised by Republica's song of the same name.
Vodafone commands a market share of 48% with 2,187,000 Subscribers in Ireland.[1]
087 is the usual area code for mobile phone numbers serviced by Vodafone. However, following introduction of full number portability by the Commission for Communications Regulation, some subscribers may have 083, 085, 086 or 089 prefixes instead.
The company also sponsored the Irish version of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? quiz show while it ran on RTÉ television.
Eircell
Eircell commenced operation in 1986 as the Mobile and Broadcast division of Telecom Éireann. The GSM network went live on July 1993. Eircell handled the Irish mobile phone networks defined by the access codes 088 (analogue TACS system) and 087 (digital GSM 900 system) from 1984 until its transfer to Vodafone in 2001. Usage of the service remained low until it became a separate subsidiary, Eircell Limited, in 1997. In October 1997, Eircell introduced the analogue prepaid pay as you go system under the Ready To Go brand, and turned mobile communications in Ireland into a mass-market product. From early 1997 Eircell faced competition from Esat Digifone, then a joint venture between Denis O'Brien's Esat Telecom Group plc and Telenor AB of Norway. In 2000, Vodafone made an offer for the company to Eircell's parent, eircom Plc., which saw the company demerge from Eircom plc into a separate plc, Eircell 2000 plc (trading name: Eircell Vodafone), which was then acquired by Vodafone. In 2002, Eircell Vodafone was rebranded as Vodafone Ireland plc.
In 2001, Eircell closed down its original analogue TACS (088) system, and Vodafone Ireland now operates a purely digital (GSM/UMTS) network.
Eircell Vodafone > Vodafone Ireland
Vodafone saw Eircell undergo a major rebranding exercise on its acquisition by the group. The main rebranding was to associate a shade of deep purple with the company. When Vodafone rebranded with their trademark shade of red, the tagline used was "Red is the new purple, Vodafone is the new name for Eircell".
Vodafone Ireland introduced UMTS services (branded "Vodafone live! with 3G") in 2004, launching the first handsets in November. This meant they were ahead of O2 Ireland and new entrant 3 Ireland in launching third-generation services. Mobile network Meteor is currently rolling out their own 3G/UMTS network, having recently been awarded the last Irish UMTS licence. Initially restricted to contract ('bill pay') customers, Vodafone extended UMTS to pre-pay 'Ready To Go' customers from 2 June 2005. Vodafone Ireland have also been known as "Eircell-Vodafone" during their dual-branding phase.
Criticism
EU Commission,a critic of Vodafone in Ireland
Analysis by the Sunday Independent in January 2006 showed the massive margins being earned by Vodafone and O2 in the country are costing Irish mobile phone users about €300m a year. If the mobile phone companies were to cut their Irish margins to the group average, Vodafone customers would see their annual bills falling by an average of €80.47 (€6.71 a month)[2]
The European Commission upheld a ruling by the Irish regulatory body, Comreg, that the Irish mobile phone market needed greater competition, and acknowledged that "tacit collusion possibly existed between O2 and Vodafone".[3]
A senior manager at Vodafone Ireland in March 2007 was dismissed following allegations that he defrauded the mobile operator of more than €1m. The company added in a statement: "As the matter is subject to legal proceedings, Vodafone cannot comment further."[4][5]
The National Parents Council criticised mobile phone companies for the lack of information available about filtering. The Sunday Tribune tested access to four separate sites - a pornography site, an Irish escort site, a pro-anorexia site and a prosuicide site - on the mobile phone networks Vodafone, O2, 3 and Meteor. All four networks allowed access.[6]
In January 2009 it was revealed that Ireland is nearly the most profitable market in the world for multinational mobile operators like Vodafone.[7]
In April 2009, the Company admitted to overcharging 100,000 of its Irish customers a total of €900,000 by incorrectly billing them.[8]
Perlico
On 13 November 2007, Vodafone Ireland announced the acquisition of Perlico, a small fixed line phone and broadband services reseller for €80m. This is in line with the strategy of other Vodafone companies across Europe, in buying small fixed-line providers for potential offerings of future converged services. As a result of the acquisition, Perlico retains their management and separate brand identity, but will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vodafone Ireland.[9]
Acquisition of BT fixed-line broadband and small business customers
On 22 July 2009 BT Ireland agreed to transfer its consumer voice, broadband data and small business operations in Ireland to Vodafone, leap-frogging the company into a leading role as a fixed-line broadband operator in the country. Under the terms of the deal Vodafone will lease capacity on BT's fixed line network for the services. [10]
Footnotes
- ^ Vodafone Group Press Release: [1]
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/business/the-300m-mobile-ripoff-126029.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/o2-and-vodafone-may-face-huge-fines-279791.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/vodafone-manager-sacked-after-claims-of-euro1m-fraud-678858.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/vodafone-cash-fraud-probe-by-detectives-679501.html
- ^ http://www.tribune.ie/archive/article/2008/jun/01/porn-site-filters-on-childrens-mobile-phones-are-u/
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/revealed-how-mobile-firms-have-shafted-you-1269676.html
- ^ http://www.independent.ie/national-news/vodafone-to-refund-customers-8364900000-after-error-1703788.html
- ^ ENN.ie: Vodafone Acquires Perlico[2]
- ^ http://www.btireland.ie/mediacentre/pr_2009_08_21_ca.shtml
See also
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