Vodafone rebuked by regulator for lack of mobile connectivity in southeast

Comreg issued a notice of non-compliance to Vodafone, finding that it had not used spectrum available to it in “at least” four counties in Ireland’s southeast

Adrian Weckler

Vodafone has been rebuked by the Irish telecoms regulator for not providing counties in the southeast of Ireland with adequate mobile connectivity.

Comreg said that Ireland’s biggest operator was in non-compliance with its obligations to provide coverage in parts of Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford in the 3.6Ghz band. The watchdog sought expert advice on the “likely harm arising from Vodafone’s non-compliance”.

It comes after Vodafone raised prices by more than 5pc for most of its mobile and broadband customers this month.

It also comes after a leading industry measurement tool saw Vodafone slip to last place in Ireland for flagship performance. In the most recent annual comparison by Ookla, Vodafone’s overall mobile network is now less than half the speed of its main rival, Three, and has fallen behind Eir’s mobile network, which was once a distant third. It’s a similar situation with 5G, where Vodafone’s performance score barely more than a third of Three’s, and trails Eir’s.

However, a different industry test from NPerf scored Vodafone better on 4G measurement, according it higher upload speeds and higher overall performance.

Vodafone’s stuttering network and infrastructure completion affects other operators, as Vodafone supplies Clear Mobile and An Post Mobile with their connectivity. The Ookla test scores suggest that ultra-budget operators GoMo and 48 now have significantly better-performing 5G mobile networks than Vodafone.

Faced with the regulator rebuke and falling 5G measurement scores, Vodafone says that it has updated its network in the southeast counties, with new base stations in 15 locations. The operator also says that it will invest €500m to improve service reliability, including calls, tests and mobile data.

Comreg said that while it will “continue to monitor and supervise compliance”, it has decided to close the investigation into Vodafone and does not intend to take any further action in respect of the rebuke to Vodafone.

The Irish Independent has contacted Vodafone for comment.