Proposal from Telecom for Bitstream Access

Commission receives proposal from Telecom for Unbundled Bitstream Access Standard Terms Determination

The Commerce Commission has received the proposal from Telecom covering the non-price terms for Unbundled Bitstream Access (UBA) Standard Terms Determination (STD).

Submissions on Telecom's proposals are sought from interested parties. The closing date for these submissions is Friday 26 July 2007.

Telecom's proposal can be found on the Commission's web site www.comcom.govt.nz

On receipt of these submissions, the Commission will prepare draft Determination incorporating both price and non-price terms. It is anticipated that the draft Determination will be issued by the end of August.

Background
Telecom's proposals can be found on the Commission's web site www.comcom.govt.nz
under Industry Regulation > Telecommunications > Standard Terms Determinations > Unbundled Bitstream Service

On 22 December 2006, the Telecommunications Act was amended to incorporate a process for the Commission to make a standard terms determination on which a designated access or specified service must be supplied by an access provider to all access seekers requesting the service. A standard terms determination will include:
• non-price terms developed by an access provider, usually in consultation with access seekers; and
• price terms for access to the service, set by the Commission.

The standard terms determination should be comprehensive enough and contain sufficient detail so that there is no need for an access seeker and access provider to enter into a separate agreement for provision of the service within the specified timeframe.

The Act specifies that the following steps must take place before a standard terms determination may be made by the Commission:
* initiation of the determination process;
* at least one scoping workshop;
* Commission issues notice to provide a standard terms proposal;
* access provider submits a standard terms proposal;
* submissions from access seekers on the standard terms proposal;
* Commission issues draft standard terms determination;
* parties to provide submissions on the draft standard terms determination;
* Commission issues standard terms determination.

A brief overview of the key steps in a standard terms determination process is available on the Commission's web site www.comcom.govt.nz under Industry Regulation/ Telecommunications / Standard Terms Determinations / Overview

ENDS

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