NZ firms up scope of telecoms study

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has firmed up the scope for its study into mobile telecommunications markets.

The study aims to ensure regulation keeps pace with changes in mobile telecommunications.

“Mobile technology is an increasingly critical enabler for business productivity and social interaction. We know that New Zealanders love their mobile devices with more than 6.4 million in use — or about 1.3 per person,” Telecommunications Commissioner Dr Stephen Gale said.

“This study is designed to help our regulatory efforts keep pace with the rapid changes happening in mobile markets in the way services are delivered and what consumers use them for,” Dr Gale said.

The commissioner said that submissions on the commission’s October 2017 Terms of Reference have “supported a broadening of the scope of the study”, which will cover:

• understanding the current state of the market, including key events that have occurred, how well consumers are served, and the existence of any competition issues;
• identifying upcoming key developments including 5G deployment and spectrum allocation, and understanding how these might affect competition and consumer outcomes;
• identifying and understanding any potential obstacles to current or future market developments and factors affecting consumers’ ability to benefit from competition in mobile markets.

“This study will help us identify areas that may require more or less regulatory oversight from us, as well as helping inform consumers, the telecommunications industry and policymakers on the performance of the market,” Dr Gale said.

The scoping paper is available online, with an Issues Paper expected to be released mid-year.

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