Telecoms commissioner Webb to retire in March

Douglas Webb

The man at the centre of the controversial regulation of the telecommunication industry, Telecommunications commissioner Douglas Webb, will retire in March.

He told Communications Minister David Cunliffe today he would not seek reappointment to the role when his current term expires.

Mr Webb was appointed as the first commissioner in March 2002 for a five-year term.

He has overseen a change from one of the most light-handed regulatory regimes in the developed world to a more regulated one -- characterised by the Government's May 3 decision to unbundle the local loop for broadband.

Mr Webb made a decision in 2004 not to unbundle the local loop (the last kilometre of copper wire to people's homes) but referred it to the Government.

Commerce Commission chair Paula Rebstock said Mr Webb had implemented an entirely new regulatory regime.

"As a result of Douglas Webb's work, New Zealanders enjoy access to a wider range of telecommunications services at lower prices," she said.

Before the May 3 decision, Telecom chief executive Theresa Gattung called the regulatory process "world best practice".

"Overall, I'd have to say we think that the Commerce Commission is making quite a good fist of quite challenging timeframes set by statute," she said a couple of years ago.

Ms Reebstock said major achievements during Mr Webb's term included resolution of the long standing industry dispute on interconnection rates, the development of a more competitive wholesale services market, the creation of a transparent universal service regime (sharing the cost of the Kiwishare obligation among providers), and the stimulus of the broadband market through the unbundled bitstream service.

However, industry players complain decisions, such as on number portability, have dragged on interminably, that there is much unfinished business including issues such as mobile termination rates and that New Zealanders are stuck with high costs of calling and low take-up of new technology such as broadband.

Mr Webb, 60, was a managing counsel at the World Bank before he took up the post. He noted then that in contrast to most developing countries, the notion of an independent regulatory function was not well established here, and using the judiciary was problematic in relation to dealing with complex commercial and public interest issues.

He said his aim was to avoid both "capture" by telecoms stakeholders and regulatory over-reach by the Government. Avoiding both would be essential in establishing an "independent and credible regulatory function".

- NZPA