Source: New Zealand Government
Kiwis can now have their say on proposals for regulatory change in the telecommunications sector, because their voices are a cornerstone of the Review process, Minister for Regulation David Seymour and Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith say.
“Telecommunication services are as essential as power and water to Kiwis. Changing the way the sector is regulated will affect almost every Kiwi, so they should get a say,” Mr Seymour says.
“The review is focussed on key regulatory issues raised by the sector. For example, stakeholders told us the administrating and collecting the Telecommunications Development Levy (TDL) is expensive, inefficient and overly burdensome. Due to that feedback we included it in the Review.”
The Review looks at:
Shareholder cap and constitutional restrictions
Consideration of telecommunications service obligations (TSO)
The methodology for allocating the Telecommunications Development Levy (TDL) across telecommunications service providers and consumers
Retail Service Quality (RSQ) regulation (Part 7 of the Act)
Fibre Fixed Line Access (FFLA) services regulation (Part 6 of the Act)
Fibre service regulations (Part 4AA of the Act), noting
The Review draft proposals include:
Introducing a binding consumer code enforced by the Commerce Commission to better protect consumers
Replacing of phasing out the existing TSO framework so that infrastructure obligations better align with today’s broadband and connectivity requirements
Getting rid of obsolete rules like how to manage copper networks, which we are trying to phase out
Making telecom companies more attractive to investors so they can raise more capital
“The sector contributes around 2.5 per cent to New Zealand’s total GDP. In a high-cost economy like ours, regulation isn’t neutral—it’s a tax on growth. That’s why it’s is critical that we get out of the way and remove the red tape stifling industry growth,” Mr Seymour says.
“While the review is focused on regulatory issues raised by the sector, it now needs the views of Kiwis,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“The telecommunication service obligation requires some services in rural areas to be available and affordable, so we need to be sure that’s happening.
“We all rely on high-quality and affordable connectivity for work, social connection, and access to digital services.
“I look forward to seeing the final review report before making decisions on any recommendations,” Mr Goldsmith says.
Consultation will be open until Thursday 25 September. Have your say here: https://consultation.regulation.govt.nz/telecommunications-sector-regulatory-review/consultation/
The full terms of reference are available here: Terms of Reference for the regulatory review of the telecommunications sector
