Minister welcomes Mobile Termination Rates decision

Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce welcomed the Commerce Commission’s final determination on Mobile Termination Access Services (MTAS) yesterday.

“In August 2010 I accepted the Commerce Commission’s recommendation that MTAS should be regulated because I was satisfied that regulation would improve competition and lower prices to the long term benefit of end users”, says Mr Joyce.

“This process has been a long time in the making. I am pleased to see it come to a conclusion and I am confident that the Commission has reached a balanced and reasonable decision.”

“I look forward to the wholesale price reductions announced today being passed through to consumers and the continued development of a competitive mobile market in New Zealand.”

MTAS refers to the wholesale prices charged by a mobile network operator (such as Telecom, Vodafone and 2degrees) for providing services to customers from other network operators.

The Commerce Commission is responsible for the Standard Terms Determination process which has been completed today. Further information is available on their website:
http://comcom.govt.nz/media-releases/detail/2011/commerce-commission-cuts-mobile-termination-rates