Former Clear negotiator named Telecommunications Commissioner

9.30 am

An expatriate New Zealander, who at one time represented Clear Communications in negotiations with Telecom, has been appointed Telecommunications Commissioner.

Douglas Webb, an international lawyer and Managing Counsel with the World Bank will lead the implementation of a new regulatory regime during his five-year term.

Announcing the appointment, Communications Minister Paul Swain said Mr Webb had "excellent credentials" and "extensive experience".

"He will bring a broad intellectual capacity to the position. He has first hand experience of the New Zealand legal and telecommunications environments.

"Since then he has gained wide ranging regulatory and public policy experience at the World Bank designing legal structures and determining appropriate regulatory systems for a range of countries."

Mr Webb spent three years with the Asian Development Bank in Manila and 16 years as a partner at Rudd Watts & Stone (formerly Watts and Patterson).

While a senior partner for Rudds Watts and Stone in Wellington from 1986 to 1991, Mr Webb negotiated with Telecom NZ to obtain an interconnection agreement to permit NZ Rail to offer telecommunications services to major customers.

He represented the consortium of NZ Rail, the Todd Corporation, Bell Canada and MCI Communications in the establishment of Clear Communications as a network operator providing telecommunications services both local and long distance.

Mr Webb was also a member of the Clear negotiating team on the first interconnection agreement between Clear and Telecom NZ.

"He will be well suited to making determinations through the use of a rigorous legal framework. He also brings extensive management and financial experience from the World Bank where he supervises over 160 staff and is responsible for the related budgetary and personnel issues," said Mr Swain.

"I am also pleased to be able to appoint a New Zealander who has pursued a successful international career and is now returning home."

Mr Webb is expected to relocate from North America in March 2002.