The Supreme Court yesterday gave Orange a further week in which to file papers responding to an appeal against the High Court's quashing of the award of the State's third mobile phone licence to Meteor. The Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation and Meteor have appealed the High Court decision last month, granting Orange's challenge to the award of the licence.

That appeal will be heard by the Supreme Court on January 18th.

At the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr Michael Collins SC, for Orange, said he needed more time to study the extensive grounds of appeal filed on behalf of the regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, and Meteor, and also needed time to consider the extent of any cross-appeal.

Counsel said he was fresh to the case, as was Mr Dermot Gleeson SC, also for Orange, and the papers, including a transcript of the 50-day hearing, were extensive. Mr Justice Barrington, presiding, gave Mr Collins until November 26th to lodge his response and adjourned the matter for mention on November 29th.

In her 247-page judgment last month, Ms Justice Macken found the decision awarding the licence was objectively biased and unreasonable and also that the failure to give adequate reasons to Orange was wrong in law.