Quarterly report on telecommunications markets

Media Release

Issued 12 December 2008/ no 073

Commerce Commission releases September quarterly report on telecommunications markets

The Commerce Commission has released its September quarterly monitoring report containing key statistics about telecommunications markets in New Zealand.

The Commission has for the first time reported on the number of unbundled copper local loop lines.

The unbundled local loop is a new regulated product sold by Telecom’s local access network operator, Chorus, to other companies that provide telecommunications services. The Commission finalised the price and non-price terms on which Telecom must make this service available to other telecommunications providers in November last year.

Between the launch of this product in May and the end of the reporting period in September, telecommunications companies have purchased

over 12,000 lines from Chorus, which they are using to provide competing retail services to customers, including broadband and telephone services.

The Commission has also benchmarked for the first time TelstraClear’s new mobile phone plan for
its residential customers, which TelstaClear launched in September using Telecom’s mobile network.

The September quarterly report is available on the Commission’s website: www.comcom.govt.nz under Industry Regulation/Telecommunications/Monitoring and Reporting.

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