Commerce Commission and draft 111 Contact Code

The Commerce Commission is seeking feedback on a code to protect consumers who are at risk of needing to contact emergency services and only have access to a home phone to do so.

Fire and Emergency National Communications Centre and Medical Response Manager, Gavin Travers, said the withdrawal by Telecommunications providers of the copper services network and transition to fibre and fixed wireless means that, in the event of a power cut, some home phone customers may be unable to contact 111.

“The equipment used to provide the fibre service does not operate without electricity. The Commerce Commission has developed a draft copper withdrawal code that sets the minimum consumer protection requirements that Telecommunications providers must meet before it can stop providing copper services, such as landlines and ADSL or VDSL broadband, to a consumer. The code must be in force before Telecommunications providers can stop offering copper services.

“The Commission has also developed a draft 111 contact code. This code must also be in force before providers can stop offering copper services as, in the event of a power failure, a person accessing their landline via the fibre network may not be able to contact the 111-emergency service.”

Feedback on the 111 Contact Code(external link) is due 5pm, Friday 17 July 2020 and can be provided either by completing the online survey or by making a submission.