Local & cellular telephone number portability

Telecommunications Act: Commission to investigate local
and cellular telephone number portability

The Commerce Commission will investigate local and cellular telephone number portability following an application for a determination from five telecommunications carriers under the Telecommunications Act 2001.

The five carriers, TelstraClear Limited, Callplus Limited, Compass Communications Limited, ihug Limited and WorldxChange Communications Limited, had jointly applied for a determination of the formula for how the cost of providing number portability should be apportioned between participants in Number Portability Services.

The Act defines local number portability as a service that enables a user of a fixed telephone network service to change providers of that service, but to retain the same telephone number within a local calling area. Cellular telephone number portability is defined as a service that enables a user to change providers but to retain the same telephone number, including the same cellular network access code.

Osmond Borthwick, Manager of the Commission’s Network Access Group, said the Commission has completed its assessment of the application, which included receiving comments from a number of industry participants. Under section 25 of the Act, the Commission will next request written submissions from all parties on the application.

The Commission’s timetable for the investigation is as follows:

Decision to investigate released 29 July 2003

Draft Determination release October 2003

Submissions on draft Determination due November 2003

Conference 26 November 2003

Final Determination release January 2004

A copy of the Commission’s decision is available on the website, http:// http://www.comcom.govt.nz, select Telecommunications Regulation, Multi-network determinations.

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