The Commission has published its first regular monitoring report on telecommunications markets in New Zealand. Recent amendments to the Telecommunications Act have explicitly empowered the Commerce Commission to monitor the performance of telecommunications markets and report on this work.

Today, the Commission released the first of a series of quarterly monitoring reports containing key statistics about telecommunications markets in New Zealand and overseas. The report establishes a base set of statistics which can be used for comparison going forward. Other quarterly statistics are likely to be added to future reports as they become available.

The Commission will also publish an annual report with a more detailed analysis of the state of telecommunication markets in New Zealand. And from time to time the Commission will publish reports focusing on particular aspects of telecommunications markets.

The Commission is working with the Telecommunications Carriers Forum and Statistics New Zealand to improve the availability of comprehensive statistical data on telecommunications in New Zealand. The Commission expects to be able to report on an expanded range of statistical data over time.

A copy of the Commission's key statistics quarterly monitoring report for December 2006 is available on www.comcom.govt.nz under Industry Regulation/Telecommunications/MonitoringandReporting

Background

The sector monitoring provision of the Telecommunications Act 2001 came into force on 22 December 2006.

9A Functions of Commission in relation to sector monitoring and

information dissemination

(1) In addition to the other functions conferred on the Commission by this Act, the Commission-

(a) must monitor competition in telecommunications markets and the performance and development of telecommunications markets; and

(b) may conduct inquiries, reviews, and studies (including international benchmarking) into any matter relating to the telecommunications industry or the long-term benefit of end-users of telecommunications services within New Zealand; and

(c) must make available reports, summaries, and information about the things referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b).

(2) The function in subsection (1)(c) does not require the Commission to release all documents that the Commission produces or acquires under this section.