Eircom should not be allowed to win back customers who switch to rival firms for at least a year after they change, a lobby group has told the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg).

ALTO, which represents alternative operators to Eircom, also told ComReg that it needed to enforce decisions more aggressively to ensure compliance from dominant firms, such as Eircom.

ALTO made the comments in a submission to ComReg yesterday as part of a consultation on a review of the carrier pre-select market in the Republic.

Carrier pre-select is the technology that enables rivals to supply a telecoms service over Eircom's local telecoms network.

ComReg initiated a review of the carrier pre-select market last year because Eircom was found to be winning back customers who had chosen to switch operators.

Its study found that 93 per cent of users who moved to a rival operator to Eircom in a six-month trial period last year later switched back to the company.

In a radical step, ComReg has proposed preventing Eircom from contacting former customers for up to one year after they change operators.

ComReg said it was trying to boost competition in the telecoms market and would make a final decision shortly.

An Eircom spokeswoman said the company was completely opposed to ComReg's proposals on win-back campaigns.

She described them as anti-competitive and anti-consumer.

"We think radical change to the carrier pre-select market is unnecessary," she added.