Watchdog tells Telecom to stop making excuses

Telecom must treat the limited space in its exchanges and cabinets as an operational challenge to be fixed, not as an excuse to shelter behind, says an industry watchdog.

Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand chief executive Ernie Newman was responding to Telecom's advice to its wholesale customers, including internet service providers, that its exchanges have insufficient physical space to install competitors' equipment, or inadequate backup power.

"Telecom's wholesale and retail customers, and the wider community, are looking to Telecom to offer solutions and not just problems.

"The purpose of the current policy changes is to lift New Zealand's telecommunications infrastructure to a level consistent with a first world country. We should not have to listen to arguments about insufficient backup electricity supplies in major exchanges."

TUANZ still accepted Telecom's assurances that it would implement policy changes in a positive way.

But to underline its good faith the company must show a can-do attitude at every level. All these issues could be fixed by allocating the resources in a timely way, Newman said.

"Our challenge to Telecom is to take ownership of problems of this kind. When it has to raise them with customers it should at the same time convey a plan to resolve them ... With that approach it will in time win over those in the industry who are still sceptical about its good intentions."