Chorus terms to be reviewed

Spark, among the biggest customers of Chorus's copper lines, subsequently asked the regulator to investigate whether the changes breached the STD.

The Commerce Commission is to review the terms under which Chorus offers unbundled bitstream access (UBA) to retail telecommunications companies that sell internet services over its copper network.

Telecommunications Commissioner Stephen Gale said the UBA standard terms determination (STD) is now eight years old and predates Chorus and the non-price terms "needed to be properly reviewed to assess whether they are still fit for purpose in today's environment".

UBA is a method of supplying broadband services that allows companies to provide internet services over Chorus' copper network without physically installing their own equipment. The UBA STD sets the baseline price, general terms and service description that Chorus must offer to retail firms.

The review comes after Chorus last year proposed a new commercial UBA service and changes to delivery of regulated internet services that potentially could have limited internet performance at peak times.

Spark, among the biggest customers of Chorus's copper lines, subsequently asked the regulator to investigate whether the changes breached the STD. The commission sought legal advice that concluded there could be a breach.

"While the STD is workable, we recognise there is some uncertainty over its requirements and the process for launching new commercial services," Gale said. "With Chorus putting a hold on its proposed changes and the statutory freeze on reviewing the STD now expired, the time is right to undertake this work."