No quick cut in mobile call costs

Consumers will have to wait until the end of the year to know if they will get cheaper landline to mobile phone calls.

In June the Commerce Commission recommended regulating landline to mobile call charges.

If put in place, the regulations would have reduced the 99c (peak time) or 87c (off peak) a minute call cost by about 12c.

But Communications Minister David Cunliffe said today he had asked the Commerce Commission to reconsider its recommendations in light of new Vodafone and Telecom offers to reduce the price without regulation, and advice that Telecom's 027 network would fall outside the ambit of the regulation.

He expected new recommendations by the end of the year.

- NZPA