Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c66173) has announced the addition of “New Zealand Telecommunications Market Intelligence Report” to their offering.

Each extensive Market Intelligence Report includes the following sections: Economic, Social, Political, and Telecoms Indicators; key data presented in tabular form. Regulation; a summary/overview of the market and regulatory climate, followed by synopses of the regulator's powers and other competition or ministerial bodies to which it reports or with which it co-operates. A summary of the regulations in force, a list of differences in the types of available licences and a list of the licences issued. Market Indicators; the available data is presented in tabular form with commentary and graphics. Major Operators; contact data and company information, including ownership, background where relevant for pan-European carriers, licensed activities, scope of activities/services, recent major equipment contracts, summary of network status, references to major subsidiaries, joint ventures, and alliances. Major Manufacturers; contact data and company information including ownership, background where relevant, manufacturing & distribution activities, recent major equipment contracts, references to major subsidiaries, joint ventures, and alliances. Industry Associations; contact data and organisation information covering background where relevant, activities/objectives and references to members.

The New Zealand telecommunications market is arguably one of the most liberalised in the world, with no statutory or legal barriers to entry. Since 1989, any entity with at least 10 customers has been able to register as a network operator. However, there are still relatively few operators in the market and it seems that new entrants have found it very difficult, not to mention downright expensive, to establish network interconnection agreements with the incumbent, Telecom Corporation of New Zealand (TCNZ, or Telecom).

The most potent threat to TCNZ is TelstraClear, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telstra of Australia. This company owns an extensive national fibre-optic backbone and has licences to build and operate wireless local loop (WLL) and local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) platforms that deliver services directly to customers, but with no legislation in place requiring the incumbent to open access to its local loop, TelstraClear has been unable to grow as fast as it might wish. The same situation now faces New Zealand's remaining new entrants and has had the effect of limiting the roll-out of new networks, including those based on broadband technologies. TelstraClear has also held licences for cellular and third-generation (3G) mobile telecommunications services, but has elected not to enter this market.

A review of the Telecommunications Act of 2001 was initiated in 2004, carried on through 2005, and culminated in the introduction to Parliament of the Telecommunications Amendment Bill in June 2006. The bill was designed to implement the Labour government's pledge to deliver faster, better broadband Internet access, as unveiled in a pre-budget telecommunications stock-take package in May.

In November 2006, a New Zealand government select committee recommended a number of changes aimed at breaking TCNZ's dominance of the telecommunications market. The committee was recommending TCNZ divide its operations into separate divisions in a bid to force the operator to give competitors equal access to its fixed lines, through the implementation of local loop unbundling. The proposed divisions are network access, wholesale and retail. There was speculation the committee would go further, recommending Telecom would have to sell the split-off operations. However, the committee report said operational separation should not include a requirement that the units be sold off as well. The bill was passed in December 2006, becoming the Telecommunications Amendment Act (No. 2) 2006.

Companies Mentioned In This Report Include:

-- TCNZ
-- TelstraClear
-- CLEAR Communications
-- TelstraSaturn
-- Walker Wireless
-- Econet Wireless
-- Vodafone
-- UnitedNetworks
-- VECTOR
-- Central and South Auckland and Counties Power
-- Vector Communications
-- Broadcast Communications Limited (BCL)
-- Transmission Holdings Limited (THL)
-- Television New Zealand (TVNZ)