Telecom misses internet deadline

By Richard Braddell

WELLINGTON - Some of about six internet service providers waiting to move on to Telecom's 0867 service may not be able to do so until January or February.

Telecom spokesman Glen Sowry said the delay was because the company could not provide the data links requested by some providers and because work was needed on circuits in some of its exchanges.

"It may be later in the year, or even perhaps January, before we are able to provide all of the service they require.

"In the worst case, there are a couple of providers that we may not be able to provision until early January, February next year."

If so, that will be well after the November 1 deadline agreed with Telecom after providers protested that they would be unable to meet the original August deadline. That was set in June when Telecom stunned the internet providers with plans to charge internet users for local dial-ups if they refused to move to 0867 access.

Despite complaints that it was breaching the "Kiwi Share" guarantee of free local calling, Telecom is imposing a charge of 2c a minute after the first 10 hours of internet connection as an incentive to consumers to adopt the 0867 code.

Mr Sowry said the providers affected had been assured that neither they nor their customers would be charged for the regular dial-up while the 0867 alternative was unavailable, and they would get sufficient time to make the transition when it was.

But while Telecom was behind in some cases, Mr Sowry said the transition had proceeded smoothly for most of the internet service providers who had requested 0867 connections.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the Internet Society, Communications Minister Maurice Williamson reaffirmed that the Government could reinforce its rights under the Kiwi Share should Telecom contravene its undertakings, including the provision of free local internet connection via 0867.

He said calls to providers accounted for 23 per cent of local telephone traffic, a rise from 16 per cent a year ago.

Telecom forecast that to rise to between 35 and 40 per cent of residential traffic within three years.