People with disabilities in the EU now have important new rights under regulations implementing the European Accessibility Act (the EAA) which came into effect on 28 June 2025.
It contains new rules to make many sectors including electronic communications services (ECS), like your home phone, mobile and broadband service, easier to access, understand and use by everyone regardless of a person’s age or ability.
The EAA Regulations (S.I. 626/2023) make ComReg responsible for checking that the requirements of the EAA for ECS are complied with. This includes dealing with consumer complaints, monitoring compliance and taking enforcement action when needed.
What does the EAA mean for electronic communications consumers?
It gives new consumer rights to those with disabilities and aims to make sure that phone and broadband services work better for everyone, by removing barriers to access and ensuring equal use of these services, including:
Consumers will be able to access important information about phone and broadband services and how they comply with the EAA, in an accessible format.
Websites and mobile apps must be designed so that people with disabilities can access, understand and use them, without barriers.
Consumers will be able to contact support services in an accessible way and receive information and support.
Real Time Text (RTT) is a way of typing messages during a phone call, the other person sees what you’re typing as you type it – letter by letter – without having to press “send”. It’s like talking, but with text instead of voice. This means the emergency call handlers can see the message as it’s being written and helps them understand the situation faster, so they can respond more quickly.
Service providers must make sure consumers can use RTT by providing RTT on newer mobile phone models, and their networks. Consumers can use RTT to call other people with compatible mobile phones as well as the emergency services.
These new rights are part of a broader set of existing ComReg measures including the requirement for the following:
All service providers are required to publish an accessibility statement on their websites. The accessibility statement should set out how the service provider ensures that information regarding their products and services, including all information provided to the majority of consumers, is accessible for those with disabilities. The accessibility statement must contain:
• Information about the accessibility of products and services
• Information about the range of accessible contact methods and details to assist consumers with disabilities
• The service provider’s approach and policy in respect of providing services and information to consumers with disabilities
Information in respect of a service provider’s complaints handling procedures, including its code of practice, must be accessible in a number of formats, to include but not limited to braille, audio, regular print, large print, easy to read, understandable and online versions of each format (on the disability section of the service provider’s website) and all of these formats must be printable.
• Service providers must provide an accessible means to contact their customer service in order to lodge a complaint or make an enquiry
• Service providers must offer the ability to nominate a third party to deal with complaints or queries on behalf of the cconsumer
• All staff handling a complaint must have been trained to appropriately deal with the requirements
Service providers providing pre-paid mobile services are required to provide an SMS top-up facility where consumers:
If a consumer has difficulty accessing online directory enquiry services because of a vision impairment, they can contact the service provider who will offer the use of a directory enquiry service free of charge. To avail of the service, a doctor’s certificate will need to be provided to confirm the medical condition.
If a consumer requires a bill and details of the transactions in a medium properly accessible to them (including braille), the service provider can be contacted for this.
If a consumer would like to buy a phone or some other equipment from the service provider but is unsure if it can be used with a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, the service provider must offer one of the following choices:
• a facility to test the terminal equipment at the service provider’s retail shop, in advance of purchasing or
• a returns policy that allows for the terminal equipment which has not been tested in advance of purchase to be returned, because it does not meet specific hearing needs.
To avail of the service, a doctor will need to provide a certificate that confirms the medical condition.
Every service provider selling terminal equipment must have staff in the retail shop who are trained in the use of terminal equipment and are adequately equipped to address any queries raised by consumers, in advance of purchase.
Every service provider is required to ensure that comprehensive and up-to-date information regarding its products and services, that are of relevance to people with disabilities, are accessible. The means that you should be able to click from the home page of your service provider’s website to access the Disability Section of that website.
All contractual information must be accessible and up-to-date. This includes notifications in respect to any changes to your contract that are set out in the European Union (Electronic Communications Code) Regulations 2022. Our contracts page explains this in more detail.
Every service provider is required to maintain a facility for consumers to register their requirements if they choose to do so. The register, subject to a consumer’s consent, will contain the following:
• Name, address, contact details (to include a phone number or email address and/or third party nominated contact)
• Preferred means of communication
• Preferences in respect of bundles (for example broadband or text only)
• Details of any special terminal equipment required
• Details of any alternative billing medium requirement
Full details of the Text Relay Service the Irish Text Relay Service (ITRS) are available at www.itrs.ie
ITRS translates text into voice and voice into text to facilitate a person who maybe deaf or hard of hearing in making and receiving calls in the Republic of Ireland. Calls are relayed through an ITRS agent who performs this translation. ITRS customers can make and receive text relay calls as per their chosen plan using a range of PC or mobile media devices. ITRS is available directly from www.itrs.ie
To use the ITRS, a consumer must first register the phone number they will be using to make and receive calls. Information about registering is here and includes details on how to make and receive calls and other important features.
In September 2023, ComReg reviewed the specific Electronic Communications Services (ECS) measures in place to meet the needs of consumers with disabilities to choosing and using ECS. In this context, ECS means home and mobile phone, and broadband services.
As part of this review, we published a Call for Input and a summary document.
The Information Notice summarises the response received to the Call for Input, including our current position on the measures and provides information about the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Since the introduction of the measures, and the publication of the Call for Input, advances in technology and changes in the law are making phone and broadband services more accessible to consumers with disabilities.
These measures together with the EAA further strengthen consumer rights. ComReg notes the respondents support of the measures and is not proposing any changes to the existing measures at this time.
Service providers must comply with ComReg’s measures.
The Information Notice is available in alternative formats. Please contact our Access Officer for any further help.
A customer charter is a “one-stop shop” of information about the levels of quality of customer service, and informs consumers of their rights and protections, including accessibility, complaint handling and when they may receive compensation from their service provider.
Service providers are required to provide a direct weblink to their accessibility statement and any other accessibility information that they publish.
The customer charter must be accessible for customers with disabilities. People with disabilities can request that the customer charter is made available to them in an accessible format by contacting the service provider.
If you want to find out more, you can refer to the customer charter decision.
If you have concerns about the accessibility of your phone or broadband service, you can raise a complaint with our Consumer Care team.
We will follow up on complaints that the service is not in compliance with the EAA requirements, and we will inform you of the outcome.
Visit our Consumer Care page for more information.
ComReg is responsible for monitoring compliance by phone and broadband service providers with the requirements of the EAA, while the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is responsible for compliance for products, such as mobile phone handsets and broadband routers.