ComCom weighs future mobile tower rules

In this edition:Mobile access regulations set for changeKDDI brings Starlink Direct to NZWaitematā Harbour laser linkOne NZ, Tuanz take opposing positionsSubmissions to the Commerce Commission reveal opposing views from One NZ and tech user association Tuanz over whether legacy tower co-location rules should be scrapped. The regulatory review comes a week after One NZ and 2degrees announced a joint venture to merge their active radio networks.In its submission to the Commerce Commission’s draft recommendation report on mobile co-location, One NZ argues that regulated co-location is an anachronism. It notes that towers are now run by independent tower companies: Connexa and FortySouth. These fall outside the legal definition of Access Provider, which makes Schedule 1 regulations irrelevant and legally toothless.One NZ also says that scrapping the obsolete rules provides the regulatory certainty needed to keep investing in network resilience and 5G upgrades.Regulatory safety netTuanz,…