26 September, 2001 Media Statement

Government welcomes Econet Wireless International Announcement

Communications Minister Paul Swain has welcomed the announcement this week that Econet Wireless International will be establishing a third mobile network in New Zealand.

"The Hautaki Charitable Trust has struck a deal with Econet Wireless International to form Econet Wireless New Zealand

"Econet Wireless New Zealand has said they hope to be making calls on their own network in a year's time.

"The whole idea behind the new telecommunications reforms that the government is proposing in the Telecommunications Bill is to encourage better competition and more investment in the industry, and ultimately to get a better deal for consumers.

"The Econet announcement this week is a good indication that the government is on the right track," Paul Swain said.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On The Erebus Memorial In Parnell

Social media can be a wonderful tool for bringing people together in a common cause. It can also be a seedbed and spreader of mis-information on a community-wide scale. To which category do the protests against the siting of an Erebus memorial (to the 257 New Zealanders who died in that tragedy) in a secluded corner of a Parnell park happen to belong? IMO, it is clearly the latter, and the reasons for thinking so are explained below... More>>