Govt looks into Telecom variations

The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce, is looking for feedback on Telecom's request for a variation to its operational separation undertakings.

On March 25th Telecom requested the variation to clarify how services it would supply under the rural broadband initiative (if it’s successful), would be treated for the purposes of non-discrimination rules in the undertakings.

These services would be subsidised by the government under the RBI and offered initially to users such as schools and hospitals.

Telecom wants the undertakings to be amended to ensure that the provision of these subsidised services under the RBI will not be a breach of the non-discrimination rules.

Joyce said that the issue needs to be quickly resolved in order to maintain progress on the rural broadband initiative.

You can find the variation proposal here.