Telecom reviews govt's discussion document

Following this morning’s statement from Comms Minister Steven Joyce, asking the industry for feedback on issues that may arise from a Telecom restructure, Telecom has said it’s reviewing the document.

“Telecom indicated a willingness to structurally separate as part of its August 2nd proposal on the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative,” it said in a statement to the city this afternoon.

Joyce said it made sense for the government to consider the implications of a structural separation as they would be a “major change” to the industry.

CEO Paul Reynolds explained, “There remains a long way to go in the UFB tender process and finding a solution for UFB that achieves the government’s objectives while also being sustainable and economic is challenging. It will also be complex and challenging to arrive at a solution that will receive the necessary support of Telecom shareholders.”