WorldCom has become the first telecommunications company in Ireland to be awarded an infrastructure licence by the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation.

WorldCom said the licence would extend its existing telecommunications service licence awarded in 1995 and will allow the rapid establishment of a telecommunications infrastructure in Ireland, linking into Worldcom's long distance, international and undersea networks. Eireann) for corporate customers. He said they would now have direct connectivity into high-speed telecommunications services over one network, giving greater control from a security and quality viewpoint.

WorldCom and Esat Telecom have begun building their own fibre-based infrastructure since that element of the telecommunications market was liberalised last July. It is understood that several telecoms operators had expressed concern about the delay in the Director's office issuing infrastructure licences as they felt technically they could be in breach of the law and work could be halted.

Building their own infrastructure is important to alternative network operators because they believe that, although the investment is expensive initially, it pays dividends in the long term.