2degrees lays complaint against 'bullying' Telecom

2degrees' Bill McCabe. The company has complained to CommComm about 'bullying behaviour' by Telecom.

The company working to launch this country's third mobile network is complaining to the Commerce Commission about Telecom.

2degrees said it would like to offer local home zone calling services over its new mobile network, but Telecom's refusal to interconnect effectively shut it out of the market.

Under home zone plans customers can drop their landline and have a mobile-only service, paying residential landline rates for calls made on their mobile when at home.

Bill McCabe, 2degrees' chief commercial officer, described Telecom's behaviour as "bullying".

In 2006, the Commerce Commission determined that Telecom must provide interconnection to Vodafone on exactly the same terms that 2degrees was requesting, 2degrees said.

But Telecom today said it had offered a commercial deal to 2degrees on the same terms as the agreement with Vodafone, and remained willing to negotiate such an arrangement.

2degrees, due to launch in August, said it had tried for more than two years to reach an agreement with Telecom.

After exhausting every other reasonable avenue, it had started proceedings against Telecom with the commission.

- NZPA