Minister's Foreword
In 2001 the Government reformed the telecommunications regulatory environment with the passing of the Telecommunications Act 2001 to deliver a better deal for consumers.
The Act was landmark telecommunications legislation aimed at bringing greater certainty, investment, competition, opportunity and consumer benefit. In particular the key objective of the Act is to promote competition in telecommunications service markets for the long term benefit of telecommunications service users in New Zealand.
More recently, the government has set a goal of returning New Zealand to the top half of the OECD ranking by per capita income. A high-performing ICT sector will facilitate the achievement of this goal.
The Act has been in place nearly three years and is delivering results to all users.
The Act, of necessity, is a complex piece of machinery and experience obtained in its operation has identified a number of issues that justify a review with a focus on implementation issues.
The main purpose of the review is to improve the processes set up by the Act with a particular focus on the monitoring and enforcement of the prompt development and implementation of regulated service supply agreements.
The review will also consider innovative ways of better addressing the resolution of users' telecommunication service provision complaints that can not be resolved directly by the parties.
I encourage you to make a submission and I look forward to hearing your views.
Hon Paul Swain
Minister of Communications
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