Phone regulation should continue 

Competition watchdog the Commerce Commission is recommending regulation of telecommunication services continue for another two years.

In a draft report released on Tuesday, the commission says regulation of 10 areas of telecommunications should continue after December this year, when it was due to expire.

The services involved are the interconnection, retail resale, national roaming and number portability services, and co-location on cellular mobile transmission sites.

"It is the commission's view that in the case of all 10 services under investigation, an extension of the period of regulation will promote competition," the commission says in a statement.

The services have been regulated since 2001.

The commission is calling for submissions on its draft report by June 28.

It's planning a conference of interested parties on the issue in mid-July and expects to send its final recommendations to the Minister of Communications by the end of August .

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