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Mobile termination - TUANZ lodges submission with Minister

Posted yesterday @ 2:33 p.m. by Ernie

TUANZ yesterday lodged our Submission on the Commerce Commission's split recommendation in the long-running investigation into mobile termination access services.We urged the Minister to reject the recommendation of Telecommunications Commissioner Dr Ross Patterson and Associate Commissioner Pickering, and instead adopt the dissenting view recorded by Commissioner Anita Mazzoleni that mobile termination become a regulated service.Our full Submission is here.

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Bird on a wire lashes out

Posted Sat 6 March 2010 @ 6:56 p.m. by Ernie

Usually you're safe from a Bird on a Wire unless you're directly underneath, but Theresa Gattung seems to be endangering everyone within a 360 degree trajectory.Media this weekend have reviewed various chapters. Its frustrating to see the book unveiled chapter by chapter but I guess its a part of the marketing mix - I'm told that media are expected to pay for the right to review a chapter. So maybe we're seeing the more sensational material in advance.According to the Herald she's slated the...

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Dysfunctional international mobile market

Posted Thu 4 March 2010 @ 9:03 p.m. by Ernie

Here's a really good analysis of what's wrong with the international mobile phone market, released today by INTUG, the International Telecommunications Users Group of which TUANZ is a member.Much of it, and especially the sections about international mobile roaming, will resonate strongly with TUANZ members.So too will the plea (para 6.3) for regulators around the world to follow the lead of the European Commission in working toward Bill and Keep mobile termination rates. As the Report notes, in...

Categories: TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - InternetNZ puts pressure on!

Posted Thu 4 March 2010 @ 8:19 p.m. by Ernie

Really interesting move the last couple of days.The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has been the elephant in the room while various governments have been working through Copyright issues, and especially Internet piracy. Despite the softer stance our government has taken on the infamous Section 92a, if New Zealand signs ACTA there is a risk the government might have to revert to draconian laws again.And the debate world-wide around ACTA has been held in conditions of surprising secrecy, attracting...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | ISPs | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Revolutionising NZ education with fibre

Posted Thu 25 February 2010 @ 12:35 p.m. by Ernie

I’m having two interesting days here in Rotorua at Core Education’s annual http://www.core-ed.net/learningatschool. It’s a big event – 1300 participants including teachers, principals, education administrators, and ever-hopeful equipment vendors. ’m here exploring where TUANZ can best put our energies in this sector. We’ve achieved our goal of a national plan to roll out ultra fast connectivity with government money in support – there are a lot of bridges still to cross but there are good people...

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Split decision form ComCom on MTR

Posted Mon 22 February 2010 @ 9:27 a.m. by Ernie

Today's long awaited Commerce Commission recommendation to the Government on Mobile Termoination Rates is against regulation. It's a split decision.Telecommunications Commissioner Dr Ross Patterson, and Associate Commissioner Gowan Pickering, recommend acceptance of the voluntary offers from Vodafone and Telecom. Commissioner Anita Mazzoleni has recoreded a dissenting view - she prefers the government regulate.More reaction from TUANZ later today.

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Mobile Termination - tomorrow is D Day

Posted Sun 21 February 2010 @ 11:44 a.m. by Ernie

Tomorrow morning, before the markets open, the Commerce Commission is likely to release its report to Minister Joyce on mobile termination. That's the word on the street anyway.Its a little while since TUANZ wrote to the Commission asking for this issue to be addressed. Seven years actually. That shows the ferocity of the lobbying from mobile operators over that time. The Commission has two options. It can take up the voluntary undertakings given by the three mobile operators - 2Degrees, Telecom...

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Mobile termination - Telecom makes a small move

Posted Thu 11 February 2010 @ 3:06 p.m. by Ernie

There’s been another small move in the mobile termination debate this morning. It's about the voluntary undertakings that the mobile carriers are offering as an alternative to regulation. Telecom has pushed out the start date of its voluntary glide path, from 1 April 2010 to 1 October 2010. The background is this. For the Commission to accept undertakings in this situation where there is a great deal of reciprocal business, it's crucial that the undertakings are broadly aligned. Until now the timing...

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Great job going at TUANZ!

Posted Thu 11 February 2010 @ 2:28 p.m. by Ernie

TUANZ is looking for a top class, very energetic Business Development Manager to join our small but perfectly formed team in Takapuna. If you know anyone interested, please refer them to this ad on Seek. Thanks.

Categories: TUANZ policy

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Numbering governance - TUANZ lodges a response

Posted Wed 10 February 2010 @ 3:47 p.m. by Ernie

Governance of the New Zealand phone numbering system is about to change! We've suffered a decade of the flawed Number Administration Deed - a relic of the days when even something as basic as numbers was the arena for confrontation and game-playing.Now, carriers willing, the governance of numbering is to be moved into its natural home, the TCF, which published a proposal for a new regime back in December..Submissions on the TCF's proposal closed late last week. TUANZ has now published...

Categories: Fixed line carriers | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Fibre responses lodged

Posted Tue 2 February 2010 @ 8:57 p.m. by Ernie

Friday last marked a huge milestone in New Zealand's telecommunications journey. Invitations to Participate in the government's $1.5 billion ultra fast broadband initiative closed.The Proposals themselves will remain under wraps for a while, but some of the participants have issued statements outlining what they have put forward. Rather than repeat what has already been covered in the media, here are links. PARTICIPANTS' MEDIA RELEASESRegional Fibre GroupTelecomVectorMEDIA COVERAGEComputerworld...

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Fibre Friday!

Posted Fri 29 January 2010 @ 10:52 a.m. by Ernie

Today’s the day – proposals to partner with the government for the national urban Ultra Fast Broadband project close. There’s a huge flurry of activity. If you’re having trouble getting hold of anyone in the industry, chance are they’re putting the final touches to a proposal. Once details are released, the $1.5 million question will be answered – will there be enough proposals, with a suitable geographic scatter, to enable the government to meet its objectives? My bet is yes – there won’t...

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One 4g mobile network, many users?

Posted Mon 25 January 2010 @ 9:14 a.m. by Ernie

Could it work - a single 4g network shared by three or more mobile operators?The notion has been floated again this morning by Tom Pullar Strecker writing in the DomPost. And the Commerce Commission is clearly taking it seriously.I think it has real merit, provided the ground rules are clear. The devil of course, will lie in the detail.There are questions to ponder:- How will the costing formula work?- How will new operators be able to enter the market and join the shared network after inception;...

Categories: Broadband | Innovation | Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Paying by the bit - "as others see us"

Posted Mon 25 January 2010 @ 8:00 a.m. by Ernie

As local connectedness continues to improve, attention this year will surely focus more on the most important of all telecommunications bottlenecks - international connectivity.Dennis Veihland of TUANZ member Massey University drew my attention to this article by Steve McCabe, a recent arrival in NZ with his family, who bemoans the unfamiliar world of data caps and the unpleasant contrast with his homeland USA.How important are data caps to you? What should TUANZ be doing to resolve the issue? Post...

Categories: Broadband | Fixed line carriers | ISPs | TUANZ policy

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NZ has some of the world’s lowest use of mobile phones - Stanton

Posted Thu 21 January 2010 @ 11:22 a.m. by Ernie

John Stanton, Chairman of Trilogy which is the major holder of 2degrees Mobile, has been in New Zealand these past couple of days. This morning addressed a gathering of business leaders in Auckland – surprisingly well attended considering the time of year, though you could see the moths flying out of some of the business suits. He’s an immensely successful guy who’s made his pile by taking on monopolies and duopolies in the wireless industry. His address covered everything from the current plight...

Categories: Events | Innovation | Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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Chivers gives a new dimension to the "Revolving Door"

Posted Tue 22 December 2009 @ 7:43 a.m. by Ernie

My counterparts in user associations around the place are fond of talking of the "revolving door" - the propensity for people in senior policy positions to move between incumbents, entrants and government. We've seen plenty of examples in New Zealand and in my humble opinion it has more often been good than bad.So take the case of Ralph Chivers. Go back not many years he was with Telecom. Later he went to the MED to spearhead operational separation. From there he...

Categories: Broadband | Fixed line carriers | Regulatory | TUANZ policy

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Posted Fri 18 December 2009 @ 9:56 p.m. by Ernie

I'm not about to heap praise on anyone, regardless of political persuasion, for the progress announced this week over Section 92a. The cross-party support last year for an undemocratic and unworkable piece of legislation showed the whole of parliament in a poor light. About the only politician to emerge with a shred of credit was Maurice Williamson who, with the characteristic candour that has got him into so much trouble over the years, had the good grace to admit after the event that he didn’t...

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ACTA - users should be concerned

Posted Fri 11 December 2009 @ 9:09 p.m. by Ernie

Its timely that Labour IT spokeswoman Clare Curran has highlighted the secrecy around the international discussions on an anti-counterfeiting trade agreement. "What’s going on with ACTA? " Curran asks. "Kiwi internet users need to be kept in the loop. ACTA has the potential to have massive implications on New Zealand’s proposed copyright laws and how internet piracy is policed locally. “With negotiations being carried out in secret, New Zealand could find itself locked into...

Categories: TUANZ policy

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Correction and apology - Vodafone

Posted Wed 9 December 2009 @ 10:03 p.m. by Ernie

Apologies to Vodafone. Earlier this week in a blog post about Telecom's fine for misleading advertising, I implied that Vodafone had had a similar conviction.This was not the case - They've been charged, but haven't even got to the plea stage.I've taken down the post and replaced it with a corrected version. My apologies for the loose wording that may have misled readers.

Categories: Fixed line carriers | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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ECTA, and Net Neutrality (Traffic Prioritisation)

Posted Tue 8 December 2009 @ 9:09 p.m. by Ernie

’m at the ECTA annual regulatory conference here in Brussels. Yesterday was a workshop day, and in the afternoon I attended an interesting and insightful session on net neutrality/network management. It was sub-titled “Policy Issues for the Future of Net-Based Service Provision.” There were eight panellists, all with a different perspective to offer. But I found two in particular, useful to my understanding of the issues. At one end of the spectrum, so to speak, was the peripatetic Richard Feasey,...

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Paul Budde has it wrong!

Posted Thu 3 December 2009 @ 11:19 a.m. by Ernie

I usually look forward to Paul Budde's annual foray into NZ. But his scathing criticism of the government's Ultra Fast Broadband plans during his Roundtable this week and in subsequent media comments have left me, and TUANZ Chairman Chris O'Connell who attended in Wellington, perplexed and disappointed.Rob O'Neill has summarised Budde's views in today's Computerworld. The criticism of Minister Joyce and the Ultra Fast Broadband process is extravagant - "totally ridiculous" and "asking...

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Rural broadband symposium - Reflections on Day 1

Posted Fri 13 November 2009 @ 9:38 a.m. by Ernie

Yesterday was the first day of the Rural Broadband Symposium that TUANZ is running alongside Federated Farmers. It was a very stimulating day with some excellent speakers and a real buzz of anticipation around the prospect of a connected rural hinterland. Louis is preparing a comprehensive summary report. Meanwhile here were my three take-away recurring themes from the first day: Theme 1 – the Government’s Rural Broadband Plan • the concept is right• ...

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ComCom monitoring shows a stellar year for competition

Posted Fri 13 November 2009 @ 9:06 a.m. by Ernie

The Commerce Commission is producing really high quality market monitoring reports these days, based in part on the regular OECD benchmarks but adjusting for specific New Zealand characteristics. The Monitoring report it released yesterday is very heartening from a user perspective. While we’re still a long way from the TUANZ vision of “Top Ten in the OECD for Communications Technology” we’re moving fast in the right direction. Please scan the whole report. Here’s some of what you’ll...

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NEW - Fibre to the home Council to meet in Auckland

Posted Tue 10 November 2009 @ 1:59 p.m. by Ernie

The Fibre to the Home Council is to hold its first-ever meeting in New Zealand next week, reflecting the intensity of interest in this part of the world. There is space for a few professional participants to take part - contact John Nixon at this link to inquire.The Council is an increasingly effective body with chapters in Europe and Asia Pacific. I attended one of their meetings in Europe a few years ago and came back pumped up with the potential of the technology. I have no doubt this inaugural...

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Mobile termination another step towards the wire

Posted Mon 9 November 2009 @ 4:22 p.m. by Ernie

The long-running mobile termination rates debate came another step closer to the wire this afternoon.Earlier, the three mobile operators each submitted to the Commission a revised final Undertaking as an alternative to regulation. Each Undertaking, understandably, was conditional on reciprocity but each, understandably, was different. This left the Commission in a dilemma.This afternoon it published a letter written to Vodafone, 2Degrees and Telecom about the way ahead. It wants the three to sit...

Categories: Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

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