Moves to Discuss Costs of Number Portability

Five of New Zealand's telecoms companies have applied to the Commerce Commission for a determination covering local telephone number portability service and the cellular telephone number portability service.

The five carriers are TelstraClear, Callplus, Compass Communications, ihug and WorldxChange Communications. The application states that the access seekers and access providers to the determination may include (but are not necessarily limited to): TelstraClear; CallPlus; Compass Communications; ihug; WorldxChange; Telecom New Zealand; Vodafone New Zealand; and Walker Wireless.

The applicants are seeking from the Commission, a determination of: the formula for how the cost of providing number portability should be apportioned between participants in Number Portability Services. Section 34 of the Act states that, on receiving an application made in accordance with section 33, the Commission must request the parties to comment on the application not later than 10 working days after receipt of the notice from the Commission.

Under section 35 of the Act, the Commission will decide whether or not to investigate the application following receipt of comments form the parties."

Posted to the site on 28th March 2003