14 December 2006
ISPANZ welcomes Amendment Bill, looks forward to the Unbundled Local Loop
ISPANZ (The Internet Service Providers Association of New Zealand) welcomes the passing of the Telecommunications
Amendment Bill yesterday and looks forward to the new environment of the Unbundled Local Loop and Operational Separation
for Telecom.
"We congratulate the Minister of Communications Hon David Cunliffe and his colleagues in the Government for driving
through telecommunications reform. And it is pleasing that the National Party and most other parties also supported the
Bill in its final form," says ISPANZ President David Diprose.
“The passing of the legislation will eliminate uncertainty in the market, allow Telecom and its competitors to bed down
their investment plans, and encourage players up the ladder of investment.
"ISPANZ notes that this is the beginning of a larger process of industry reform and expresses its support for a robust
Operational Separation plan that squarely puts the bottleneck network assets including copper loops, backhaul and
incoming fibre in the network division of Telecom.
This will reinforce “Equivalence of Inputs” in the unbundled environment and ensure competition and innovation blossom
in the ISP industry. Like the Minister we anticipate lower cost and more variety of broadband services for consumers and
economic benefits for New Zealand.”
ISPANZ would also like to acknowledge the positive change within Telecom since the May announcement. This has been
apparent in its interactions with ISPs in the TCF LLU working groups.
"The attitude of Telecom in the TCF LLU working groups is very positive. Telecom is cooperating constructively with the
rest of the industry and appears to be making good progress readying its local loop for access by competing service
providers. We look forward to providing service to the first LLU customers," says Diprose.
ENDS