General

Communications in the Republic of Ireland, including postal services run by An Post, are regulated to a large extent by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources has overall responsibility for national policy and regulation. Much of Ireland's communications infrastructure is modern and digital, however in several sectors there are competitive disadvantages to overcome due to the uncompetitive nature in some industries within the economy of the Republic.

In 2001 there were approximately 1.6 million main line telephones in use with an additional 2 million mobile cellular phones. An autonomous public corporation, Radio Telefis Éireann, is the Irish national broadcasting organisation; on 1 January 1976, this service celebrated 50 years of operation. Ireland's second radio service, Raidio na Gaeltachta, an Irish language broadcast, was inaugurated in 1972; it broadcasts VHF from County Galway. As of 1998, there were 9 AM and 106 FM radio stations. In 2001, at least 43 stations were independent. In 2001 there were 4 television stations.

In 2000 there were 7695 radios and 399 television sets for every 1,000 people. About 177 of every 1,000 people subscribed to cable television. The same year, there were about 359 personal computers in use for every 1,000 people, with 22 Internet service providers serving about1.25 million users in 2001.

Overview

Telephones - main lines in use
2.097 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular
4.69 million (2006)

Telephone system
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay

domestic: microwave radio relay

international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations
AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations
4 (many repeaters) (2001)

Internet country code
.ie

Internet hosts
429,487 (2007)

Internet users
1.437 million (2006)