Phone firms lobby Bradford

By Richard Braddell

WELLINGTON - The row between Telstra New Zealand and Telecom over customer re-billing is being taken by a delegation of concerned telephone companies to the Minister for Enterprise and Commerce, Max Bradford.

The meeting, arranged for Monday morning, comes after Telstra was yesterday granted an urgent hearing for an injunction blocking Telecom from withdrawing customer rebilling services. The Minister of Communications, Maurice Williamson, will miss the meeting, being overseas.

The delegation includes Telstra, Clear, WorldxChange and the Telecommunications Users' Association. Vodafone and Saturn would not attend.

Vodafone's interconnection manager, Peter Stiffe, said the issues to be addressed at the meeting - re-billing and the prices Telecom was charging other carriers for data access - had no impact on his company.

Saturn's legal counsel, Sean Wynne, said that although Saturn shared the group's concerns about Telecom's behaviour, its own concerns about Telecom matching its prices street by street and reform of the Commerce Act had already been made known to the minister.

Meanwhile, it is expected Telstra's court action against Telecom will be heard over two days starting May 31.

The dispute centres on Telecom's decision to cancel re-billing arrangements under which Telstra customers can elect to have any Telecom communications charges consolidated under the other carrier's bill.

Telstra also alleges that Telecom interfered unlawfully in customer contracts and relationships.

Telecom's external relations manager, Clive Litt, said an early hearing was the best solution since Telstra had been "intransigent in its demands." Telecom would continue re-billing for existing customers pending the outcome, he said.

"Justice Robertson said both parties were so far apart there was an obligation on the court to sort it out," said Mr Litt.

Telstra's managing director, Peter Williamson, was also pleased with yesterday's moves and the continuance of re-billing meantime.