The shape of the Republic's communications market depends on Ms Etain Doyle, the telecoms regulator, more than on the companies waiting in the wings to join the fray. Her 40-strong team must now act quickly, determining issues of crucial importance to both the consumer and to the companies involved in the sector.

First on her list of priorities is likely to be what's known as the universal service obligation - the rule that forces Telecom Eireann to supply any home in the State, no matter how remote and economically non-viable, with a service. In a competitive environment, a regulator would usually set up a central fund and insist that businesses concentrating only on lucrative urban markets pay their share. But the system of assessing that share - what is taken into account and exactly who has to contribute how much on what basis - will be sculpted by Ms Doyle's office in the months ahead.

It is a complex area. She must decide, for example, whether companies offering cheap international calls through the Internet - now possible for those with fast connections - should contribute to the fund.

Another vital ingredient in telecommunications competition is an interconnection agreement - the rules on how much companies must pay for the use of someone else's infrastructure. Other questions of interest to both consumers and potential operators include whether customers who transfer from one phone company to a rival can keep their old number, whether people using a different international than domestic phone service will have to dial a special access code, and what the requirements will be for companies seeking either full telecom licences or added-value service provision licences.