Telecom, Vodafone sign interconnect agreement

WELLINGTON - Telecom and Vodafone have signed a new interconnection agreement.

The agreement covers the exchange of calls between the two carriers' mobile networks, and between Vodafone's mobile network and Telecom's landlines.

It also covers access by Vodafone to the full range of Telecom services, and provides for the provision by Vodafone of local, toll and 0800 services.

Included in the agreement is a 10 per cent reduction, to 31.50c a minute, in the interconnect price of delivering calls to mobile phones on the two networks. The price will fall to 31.25c in September.

The two companies' networks have been interconnected since 1993, when BellSouth New Zealand, which subsequently purchased Vodafone, began offering mobile phone services.

Telecom's mobile division had 921,600 customers on March 31, and Vodafone 473,000.

- NZPA