The Commerce Commission has received an application from five telecommunications carriers for a determination for designated multinetwork services under the Telecommunications Act 2001 in respect of the local telephone number portability service and the cellular telephone number portability service.

The five carriers are TelstraClear Limited, Callplus Limited, Compass Communications Limited, ihug Limited and WorldxChange Communications Limited.

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 Ltd; Vodafone New Zealand; and Walker Wireless.

The applicants seek 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.

Background

Section 35 of the Telecommunications Act 2001 states:

Commission must decide whether to investigate

(1) The Commission must make reasonable efforts to do the following things not later than 10 working days after the date by which the parties may comment on the application:

a) decide whether or not to investigate the matter:

b) give written notice of its decision to all the parties to the determination:

c) give public notice of its decision:

Media contact: Jackie Maitland, Communications Manager

Phone work (04) 924 3708, mobile 029 924 3708