MEDIA RELEASE
HON PAUL SWAIN
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS
20 December 1999
2GHZ AUCTION POSTPONED TO ADDRESS COMPETITION ISSUES
The 2GHz auction scheduled for January 31 is to be postponed to allow competition concerns with the auction to be
addressed, the Minister of Communications Paul Swain announced today.
"Part of the spectrum available for auction can support third generation cellular technology," he said.
"Third generation cellular will see the development of high speed mobile data and voice applications which are hugely
important to the economic development of New Zealand.
"When in opposition I expressed the concern that our competition law (which will apply to the auction outcome) is not
robust enough to ensure that competition develops in these new technologies.
"Consequently, the auction will be delayed to allow further work to be done on these competition issues.
"This work will be given high priority, with a new auction date to be announced as soon as these competition issues are
resolved.
"This is expected to be at the end of February," the Minister concluded.
ENDS