National roaming prices remain unregulated

Wednesday 15th December 2010

National mobile roaming prices will remain unregulated after the Commerce Commission decided against investigating the issue.

Roaming allows subscribers of one mobile network to use their mobile telephone handset on a different mobile network to make and receive calls.

The commission today said its last concern in relation to national roaming had been whether the levels of commercial rates available to new telco Two Degrees Mobile were a barrier to expansion.

Two Degrees had now advised the commission that it had concluded alternative arrangements with Vodafone that enable Two Degrees to carry out its business on a more equitable basis, Telecommunications Commissioner Ross Patterson said.

"As a result of this new arrangement,Two Degrees believes that it is not currently appropriate for the commission to launch an investigation into whether national roaming should be a designated service."

The commercial arrangements reached by the parties meant there were no longer grounds for the commission to investigate whether to extend roaming regulation to include price, Dr Patterson said.

NZPA

Comments from our readers

No comments yet