PRESS RELEASE - Thursday 9 March 2000

Ministerial Inquiry into Telecommunications

The Ministerial Inquiry into Telecommunications began its work last week, meeting with key industry participants and a group of major telecommunications users. The Inquiry panel will meet with consumer groups in the near future.

The Inquiry was established to assess the regulatory regime for telecommunications, and recommend any changes. It has been asked to investigate and include particular comment on a range of issues, including:

 the environment for telecommunications network access and interconnection, including Telecom’s 0867 initiative;
 the development of an information economy;
 the Kiwi Share obligations; and
 numbering.

Mr Hugh Fletcher chairs the Inquiry. Other members are Ms Cathie Harrison and Mr Allan Asher. The Inquiry is due to report at the end of September.

The inquiry panel has now decided on the main features of the process it will follow in meeting the terms of reference and reporting to the Minister of Communications. This is as follows:

Friday 7 April issues paper released
Friday 5 May detailed submissions on the issues paper due
Friday 30 June draft report released
Monday 24 July submissions on draft report due
Friday 28 July submissions posted on Inquiry web-site
Wednesday 9 August public comments due on draft report submissions
Friday 11 August comments on submissions posted on Inquiry web-site
Mon 14 August – Fri 1 Sept public hearings
Friday 29 September final report to Minister of Communications

The issues paper will review the Inquiry’s terms of reference, and identify the particular issues on which it would like to receive details of proposed solutions. Submissions on the issues paper will provide a key input into the Inquiry team's draft report.

In releasing the details of the process to be followed, Mr Fletcher said “the Inquiry team considers that the process provides interested stakeholders with considerable opportunity to contribute to the findings of the Inquiry team. In particular, through comment on an issues paper; comment on the Inquiry team’s draft report; comment on other submissions on the draft report and, finally, the opportunity to be heard during the public hearings.”

Hugh Fletcher
Inquiry Chairman
P O Box 1473 Wellington
Tel: 64 4 460 1375
Fax 64 4 460 1374
Email: teleinquiry@moc.govt.nz
Website: www.teleinquiry.govt.nz

Contact: John Gilbert
Inquiry Manager

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