Mobile operator 3 Ireland is to create 50 new jobs as part of a new expansion.

Recruitment for the new roles across finance, product development and retail sales, is already under way.

Three, which already employs 400 people in Ireland, said the new positions will be located at its head office in Dublin and at a number of retail stores across the country.

According to Robert Finnegan, 3 Ireland's chief executive, the expansion is a clear signal of the company's ambition to strengthen its position in the Irish market in the coming years.

“Having pioneered the mobile broadband segment, which we continue to lead, Three is aggressively pursuing the exploding smartphone segment. Following our recent launch of Ireland’s first ”All You Can Eat” data price plans for smartphone users, we achieved a 40 per cent increase in new customer connections in the first week," he said.

"Building on this progress, 3 Ireland will continue to challenge the old networks by offering better value price plans and a first-class customer service," he added.