CALL FOR CHEAPER INTERNET.

Byline: Penman Greenwood and dennis

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Dermot Ahern, inset, yesterday acted to speed up the delivery of cheaper broadband Internet.

He instigated an investigation into the establishment of less-expensive access points to local telephone exchanges.

Mr Ahern made the announcement at the Global Leaders Forum in Rome, declaring: "In a telecoms market without real cross-platform competition, and where local loop unbundling has not sufficiently delivered, I am prepared to step in to assist the market."

The minister welcomed recent moves by telecoms companies Eircom and Esat to cut connection fees for hi-tech broadband.