InternetNZ welcomes Telecommunications Bill

InternetNZ welcomes first step for the Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill Media Release -

For Immediate Release Thursday 29 June 2006

“Today’s first reading of the Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill is a welcome first step on the road for the legislative part of the government’s telecommunications reform programme,” said InternetNZ Executive Director Keith Davidson today.

Mr. Davidson was commenting as the First Reading debate commenced on the legislation, which was released to the public on Monday this week.

“Getting the regulatory framework right is a vital component in developing a competitive telecommunications market, one that can lift us from the lower quartile of OECD Broadband uptake. The draft legislation does follow the government’s decisions as outlined in the May announcements,” Keith Davidson said.

“InternetNZ will be analysing the legislation in more depth and lodging a submission to the Select Committee.

“An important question is whether the proposed service descriptions in the bill are detailed enough to prevent the sort of delays that occurred with UBS determinations in 2005. InternetNZ will be consulting with ISPANZ, TUANZ and other parts of the industry to inform its view on this question, and may submit detail that could usefully be added to the descriptions as drafted.

“I hope that at the end of this debate, all political parties vote in support of the legislation. A recent Dominion Post poll indicates overwhelming business support for the reforms, with 86% in favour and only 7% opposed.

“Labour’s David Cunliffe is to be commended for steering these reforms through Cabinet. Other political parties should support the reforms. An all-party consensus in support of the bill at this stage would send the strongest of signals to the market that everyone needs to work together in making the new framework a success,” concluded Keith Davidson.

ENDS

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