The Commerce Commission will hold a telecommunications conference tomorrow, Tuesday 23 April, on its role in making access determinations.

This follows the release, in December last year, of a discussion paper: A Guide to the role of the Commerce Commission in making access determinations under the Telecommunications Act 2001, which explains the general approach the Commission intends to take in making determinations on access to designated and specified services. The Commission has now received submissions on the paper from interested parties.

Commission conferences provide interested parties with an opportunity to make oral presentations based on their submissions in response to Commission discussion papers. The Commission can ask questions based on those submissions at the conference. The conference will be held at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor from 9.00am.

The Commission will hold four further telecommunications conferences this year. Please note some dates have changed:

16 - 17 May: Benchmarking / Bill & Keep (previously scheduled for 8 - 9 May)

23 - 24 & 27 - 28 May : Telecommunications Service Obligations (TSO) costs

(previously scheduled for 21 - 23 May)

2 - 5 July: Total Service Long Run Incremental Cost (TSLRIC) price methodology (as originally scheduled)

Date to be confirmed: Wholesale Pricing

The discussion paper on access determinations, as well as various submissions, are available at the Commission's website at www.comcom.govt.nz/telecommunications

Agenda for Access Determinations Conference: Tuesday 23 April

Chair: Douglas Webb (Telecommunications Commissioner)

Commission Members: Paula Rebstock (Commissioner)

Donal Curtin (Associate Commissioner)

9:00 am - 9:05 am Opening Address from Douglas Webb

9:05 am - 11:00 am Telecom

11:15 am - 11:45 pm Telecom

11:45 am - 12:45 pm Vodafone

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm TelstraClear

2:45 pm - 3:30 pm Walker Wireless

3:45 pm - 4:00 pm TUANZ

Media contact: Osmond Borthwick, Network Access Manager

Phone work (04) 924 3667

Jackie Maitland, Communications Manager

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