The Commission has advised the Minister of Communications that Telecom has complied with all its Telecommunications Service Obligations (TSO) quality measures for the 2006/07 financial year.

Each year, Telecom is required to provide the Commission with audited information on its compliance with the quality measures for local residential phone services that are part of this TSO instrument. These service quality measures include dial-up modem line connect speeds, the percentage of unsuccessful residential call attempts, and the proportion of 111 (emergency) calls that are answered within 15 seconds.

The Commission reviews Telecom's compliance with these service quality measures, and notifies Telecom and the Minister of Communications of any non-compliance.

Further information about the TSO can be found on the Commission's website www.comcom.govt.nz under Telecommunications Service Obligations

The Commission will not be making any further comment.

Background

Telecommunications Act 2001 The relevant TSO instrument is the TSO Deed for local residential telephone service dated December 19, 2001 between the Crown and Telecom. Under the Deed, Telecom agreed with the Crown that local residential telephone service would meet the local residential service quality measures in Part II of the Schedule to the Deed.

Section 80 of the Telecommunications Act 2001, as amended by the Telecommunications Amendment Act (No. 2) 2006, states:

Assessment of compliance with TSO instrument

Not later than 60 working days after the end of each financial year of a TSO provider under a TSO instrument, the Commission must -

a) Assess the TSO provider's compliance with the TSO instrument during that financial year in accordance with any process set out in the TSO instrument; and

b) Notify the TSO provider and the Minister in writing of any non-compliance by the TSO provider with the TSO instrument.