I think it is rather ironic that they have ended up with a 900 GSM only network. Remember the only reason Econet entered nz was because of the cheap Maori 3g spectrum.
Tex Edwards was very vocal in the early days talking about how they would build a fantastic 3G network and that GSM like everybody else was using was obsolete technology. How times have changed!
Seriously now, you're saying mobile termination rates is what's stopping NZ Comms from launching in New Zealand?
Are you sure it hasn't got anything to do with:
underestimating how long it takes to build a network; underestimating the cost of building a network; messing about for donkey's years with Econet, a company that clearly didn't want to spend any money at all.
NZ Comms has received:
$4 million of public funding to get started. Discounted spectrum from Vodafone. Discounted spectrum from the govt auction of 2GHz spectrum. Mobile roaming agreement with Vodafone. Interconnection agreement with new-entrant discount from Vodafone. Co-location heads of agreement for 116 towers with Vodafone. Paul
Sorry to disappoint you but my name is not Tex. The Telecommunications regulatory regime in NZ is a dogs breakfast especially when it comes to the mobile phone industry and there is not enough competition. I already know that B+W has launched today, and I also know that TelstraClear is a MVNO using Telecoms CDMA network and I also know that there will be more MVNO's entering this space.
But as I said there are many dysfunctional issues that put off prospective operators entering the mobile space here.
I used as an example high mobile to mobile termination rates. As I write this posting the Commerce Commission have started an investigation into why mobile to mobile termination rates are so high and why this is putting off new operators entering the mobile marketplace.
Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly
to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.
Retired Mod
Trusted
Biddle Corp
