Formus Broadband has criticised telecoms regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, for proposing what it says are excessive charges in the latest telecoms licensing contest.

The operator has claimed the regulator may damage the business case of those seeking licences in the Republic by seeking "relatively extortionate costs".

The regulator is charging each applicant a £750,000 (€952,000) fee to enter a "beauty contest" for two broadband fixed wireless licences and one narrowband licence, double the cost levied for similar licences in May 1999.

A spokeswoman for the regulator said the charges were increased as a smaller number of licences were being issued in the upcoming competition. She said the charges would only cover the cost of running the competition and any extra money left over would be refunded to operators.