New Zealand Communications Minister Amy Adams has published a discussion paper to examine ways to future-proof the country's communications regulation. This continues the government's review of the Telecoms Act 2001 and invites views on a range of options for regulation post 2020. Adams said the review was a vital step to ensure that New Zealand has a regulatory regime which supports growth, investment and innovation in communication networks into the future. The consultation runs until 27 October.
In response, operator Spark New Zealand said that the review should focus on ensuring industry players have certainty to continue investing in New Zealand's digital future. Spark said it welcomed the discussion document and the government's commitment to engaging with industry and the people well ahead of time. Spark's General Manager Regulation, John Wesley-Smith, said that giving service providers and network operators a clear picture of the costs they will face from 2020 will allow them to focus on bringing the best of new products and services to customers. Key issues include how to set the wholesale charges that all service providers pay the monopoly fibre lines companies to connect their customers to fibre broadband, and the process for eventually switching off the old copper network for broadband and voice services in favour of the new UFB fibre network.
