NAD Release Number Portability Cost Benefit Report

NAD Releases Number Portability Cost Benefit Analysis Report

21 November 2001

An expert economic report into net economic benefits of introducing long-term number portability was received today by the parties to the Number Administration Deed (NAD).

Number portability enables a consumer to change their telephone service provider and retain their existing telephone number.

In January this year, the Minister of Communications, the Honourable Paul Swain, urged the NAD to undertake the study, the outcome of which will be a valuable input to the work of the yet to be appointed Telecommunications Commissioner. The Telecommunications Bill, yet to be enacted, designates the provision of number portability.

Liz Longworth, Chair of the NAD, says that the parties to the NAD are now tasked with determining whether they accept the findings of the report, whether they will implement number portability and if so, how implementation will be funded. Under the NAD the parties have three months to resolve these issues.

The report was commissioned by the NAD and undertaken by consultants Law & Economics Consulting Group and Amos Aked Swift.

The parties to the NAD are CallPlus, CLEAR Communications, Econet Wireless, IHUG, TeamTalk, Telecom, TelstraSaturn, Vodafone and Zip Internet. TUANZ attends as an observer.

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Copies of the report can be obtained in electronic form from: The NAD secretariat, M-co at www.nz.m-co.com http://www.nz.m-co.com/ The Telecommunications Users' Association of New Zealand at www.tuanz.org.nz http://www.tuanz.org.nz/

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