Back into state ownership, with a bailout

Considering telephone poles were part funded by the tax payer, I’d allow all telecommunications companies to access it.

While I agree with you, I know that most of the other telecoms companies weren’t interested in taking on the infrastructure before because eircom were losing so much money on it. The line rental is and always has been paid to eircom, who reckon they are passing it on at below cost levels..

UPC are laying fibre now, but before that NTL laid a few lines out in west Dublin and ran out of money.. Control of the infrastructure is one thing, the cost of maintaining it is another, this is why I wonder what will happen to it..

aprox 4 billion of it

That wasnt foreign billionaire. It was Tony OReilly that began the decline of eircom, jacking up debt and taking huge dividends. And it was the employee share ownership That opted for his takeover last time around over d.o.b.
Another thing to thank fianna FAIL for, such a pity.