Vodafone says call quality will improve now Telecom 3G fight over

Vodafone says its customers should notice improved call quality after sorting out its scrap with Telecom over the latter's new mobile phone network.

Vodafone yesterday sought an injunction to stop Telecom rolling out its new XT network on May 13, claiming its transmitters were causing interference to the Vodafone network.

But the parties reached an agreement last night which will see Telecom extending its programme installing filters to its new transmitters while putting back the network launch until late May.

Vodafone chief executive Russell Stanners said the agreement was good news for its phone users, who he said had reported call quality problems since Telecom began testing its new transmitters early this year.

"Customers should notice better call quality and fewer dropped calls," he told NZPA.

Stanners defended the decision to go to court, saying it had been all about getting the filters installed.

"We needed a solution for our customers," he said. "We wanted to negotiate but it turned out that we had to go to court."

The agreement meant Vodafone withdrew its court proceedings to get an injunction to delay the rollout of the new Telecom network.

Vodafone argued in court yesterday that interference caused by emissions from Telecom's new transmitters had resulted partly in customers leaving its network.

Telecom yesterday said the emissions from the transmitters were within acceptable levels and that Vodafone was trying to delay the launch for anti-competitive reasons.

Telecom had begun installing filters and the agreement meant this was now being sped up, Mr Stanners said.

He said the telecommunications market was an extremely competitive one and he looked forward to the competition continuing.

- NZPA