New Zealand (Country Regulation Overview)

Introduction

New Zealand has emerged from a period of dramatic regulatory reform that began in 2006. New access arrangements for broadband services and infrastructure are now in place, and the functional separation of the incumbent TNZ has been completed. This high level of activity and intervention is in stark contrast to the light-handed and stable regime that preceded it.

Features and benefits

• This report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulatory framework and current developments in New Zealand.
• We offer an extensive overview of the (fixed and mobile) retail and wholesale obligations, digital strategies, and overall regulatory framework.

Highlights

The government promotion of FTTH investment could generate a new wave of change in the next two years. It has announced that it will contribute $1.01bn (NZ$1.35bn) to the construction of a fiber access network, as well as set up a government-backed investment vehicle for further development of the network. A selection process is under way.

It is still not clear how this program will affect Telecom New Zealand’s existing fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) program, and whether this will disrupt current investment in DSLAMs by TNZ’s competitors. In our view, there are likely to be many obstacles on the road to a fiber environment that will challenge policy-makers.

Your key questions answered

• What are the details of the current obligations imposed at the retail and wholesale level for fixed and mobile services in New Zealand?
• What are the recent regulatory developments in New Zealand?