Telecom NZ stops quibbling, opens last-mile

Finally! Can anything good this way come?

New Zealand Will Open Telecom
To Fixed-Line, Web Competition

By PAULA OLIVER
May 4, 2006

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- The government plans to grant competitors access to Telecom Corp. of New Zealand Ltd.'s national fixed-line network, nearly two years after rejecting rivals' pleas to unbundle the network.

The regulatory changes announced yesterday are also designed to increase high-speed Internet services. Communications Minister David Cunliffe said the move will allow other Internet-service providers to "compete fully" with Telecom to provide faster, less-expensive broadband services. Critics have said Telecom's services are too slow and too expensive compared with other countries.

The government aims to have legislation ready for introduction to Parliament around the middle of this year. Mr. Cunliffe said the effects of the changes are likely to hit the telecommunications market in 2007...

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