Telecom has suffered a massive technical fault today, with many of its systems - including its own corporate website - down for most of the day.

Talk on the outside says the fibre fast track process can only lead to one thing - the price going up and yet again favouring Chorus shareholders, writes Chris Barton.

Warehouse boss Mark Powell wasn't afraid to speak candidly about his pay packet with business journalists in Auckland last week.

Telecom Corp, the country's biggest telecommunications company, has trimmed the size of a banking facility, while pushing out its maturity date until 2017.

Telecom says it will ditch the name of its soon-to-launch internet television service, ShowmeTV, after two companies with similar brand names raised concerns.

Telecom believes a problem affecting a small part of its North Island broadband network has been resolved.

So Telecom is to become Spark, launch ShowMeTV and become "the Netflix of New Zealand", writes Chris Barton. What a confusing confluence.

Telecom has unveiled a partnership with Spotify and will offer some mobile customers free accounts with the online music giant.

Telecom's ShowMeTV should cut another chink in Sky Television's armour built up over 25 years of being a pay television monopoly, writes John Drinnan.

Sky Network TV's share price has rallied sharply after the company produced a 22pc lift in its first-half net profit, appearing to shrug off any threat from Telecom.

Analysts are divided over Telecom's Spark rebrand and foray into internet TV with some labelling it a "bold approach" and others a "minor distraction".

Chorus says it isn't relying on High Court action or an appeal to the Commerce Commission to reduce the changes it has to make to its business.

Two NZ companies with similar names to Telecom's internet TV venture, ShowmeTV, say resulting consumer confusion will have "massive implications" on their businesses.

Telecom has revealed its plan to become the Netflix of New Zealand by providing movies and TV shows to subscribers over the internet.

Private companies should change their names only after much consideration.

If Telecom harbours the spark of innovation its new name suggests, its internet TV venture could finally crack Sky TV's monopoly on premium content.

Telecom intends to change its name later this year to Spark and will launch its own internet TV service called ShowmeTV.

A former Telecom employee has taken the communications company to court, appealing against his sacking for allegedly falsifying a medical certificate while holidaying in Fiji.

Telecom is expected to have attracted more mobile customers in the second half of last year.

Sky Network Television, New Zealand's dominant pay television operator, will no longer resell its service through Telecom, the nation's largest phone company.

NZ shares were mixed yesterday as investors cast forward to next month's earnings season, and as regional markets mulled this week's Federal Reserve meeting.

New Zealand shares fell yesterday as the market joined a region-wide decline, and was paced by retailers after the Warehouse Group joined Hallenstein Glassons in issuing a profit warning.