New Milestone Reached In Māori Crown Relations Over Spectrum

Today, a significant agreement was signed between Māori and the Crown over access to telecommunications spectrum.

The government has agreed to support legislation to create a new Māori Spectrum entity which will hold, on behalf of Māori, 20% of all future allocated commercial spectrum. Some spectrum is to be assigned immediately including a portion of 5G spectrum to be allocated this year.

For well over two decades, Māori have challenged the Government on the allocation of Management Rights over telecommunications radio spectrum.

Today’s agreement was signed between the Government, led by the Minister of Digital Economy and Communications, David Clark and representatives of the Māori Spectrum Working Group who have been negotiating on behalf of Māori.

“While this is not a Treaty Settlement, it recognises the benefits of a joint approach for the Crown, Māori and all New Zealanders,” says Mr Piripi Walker of the MSWG.

The Māori Spectrum Working Group comprises representatives of Treaty of Waitangi claimants and others who are negotiating with Government Ministers and officials to oversee Māori interests and engagement in radio spectrum, and to reach an enduring solution.

The claimant groups are Ngā Kaiwhakapūmau i Te Reo (Wellington Māori Language Board) and the New Zealand Māori Council, and groups with a long association with Māori interests in spectrum including Te Huarahi Tika Trust, Māori telecommunications industry specialists and the Iwi Chairs Forum.

These groups have a decades long history of advocating for spectrum for Māori.

Visit www.maorispectrum.nz

In 2000, the Government established Te Huarahi Tika Trust which was required to purchase spectrum from the Crown. Māori then turned this into what we know now as 2Degrees Mobile, which has provided huge economic and social benefits for all New Zealanders. “2Degrees Mobile was a Māori initiative that has benefitted all New Zealanders through better service and pricing,” says Antony Royal of the Māori Spectrum Working Group.

In 2014, the government established a Ka Hao Fund as a response to Māori challenges over allocation of the 4G spectrum. This fund will be transferred and managed by the new legislated entity.

Today’s signing marks the start of a new era in Māori participation in telecommunications by growing jobs and skills in a sector, that COVID-19 has demonstrated, is crucial to our community and economy.

“We want to ensure that Māori have access to the training and skills needed to participate through jobs and innovation in this sector.With the advent of new technologies such as 5G, 6G and the Internet of Things, we want Māori to innovate across all of the different technologies. To do that we need to develop our own innovative programmes.” says Antony Royal.

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