ComReg facilitates a range of industry forums. In general, the purpose of these forums is to facilitate discussions between Operators on the development and enhancement of the wholesale regulated access product (RAP) set in relevant markets for use by Other Authorized Operators’(OAOs) as wholesale inputs to the retail services they provide in the market.
Principal activities undertaken by the operators include the review and revision of the various products, the inter-operator processes and associated RAP documentation and plans for the future development of the product set. The forums allow updates from eir on RAP development and distribution of draft product documentation. All Ops can distribute position papers and discuss RAP related issues. OAOs can submit and manage RAP related requests through the forum process.
ComReg Forums are subject to terms of reference prepared by ComReg and agreed by industry and membership is open to all operators who have a General Authorization. Forums meet mostly on a monthly basis or more frequently as required. Where necessary specialist technical meetings and workshops can take place outside of the normal forum timetable.
ComReg forums are voluntary in nature and are offered by ComReg to facilitate engagement between Operators on the development of RAP services. They do not supplant or replace any processes eir may decide to use in order to discharge their obligations regarding the development of RAP services.
Membership is currently drawn from a wide range of Authorized Operators.
Next Generation Access: Discussions on the NGA RAP product related issues. NGA RAP services can be described as the wholesale High Speed Broadband product suite which is provided over the open eir’s Next Generation Network. This includes FTTC and FTTH variants and EVDSL delivery.
Bitstream: Discussions on issues concerning current generation narrowband products which are based on a copper delivery model.
Partial Private Circuits/Leased Lines: This forum is concerned with both Ethernet and traditional Leased Line products and Partial Private Circuit (PPC) products.
Single Billing –Wholesale Line Rental: This forum is concerned with the wholesale variant of switched telephony services.
Local Loop Unbundling (LLU): This forum oversees Line Share, Unbundled Local Metallic Path (ULMP), combined Geographic Number Portability and ULMP (GLUMP).
Geographic Number Portability: This forum was convened to update fixed portability processes, to integrate bitstream and other new products into porting processes, and to oversee the introduction of one day portability for fixed services.
Mobile Number Portability: This MNP Service Establishment Group (MNP SEG) meets as required to coordinate the inter-operator testing program to launch Mobile Network Operators or Mobile Virtual Network Operators in the mobile market.
Numbering Advisory Panel: This panel is comprised of representatives from the telecommunications industry, consumers groups and ComReg. The NAP meets as required to provide expert advice to ComReg on procedural and policy decisions in relation to specific numbering and numbering related issues.