INTRODUCING COMPETITION INTO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK - IS COMPETITION LAW RATHER THAN REGULATION THE ANSWER

Most OECD countries have either introduced competition into their 'cor e' telecommunications network or are intending to do so in the next fe w years. So far those with the most liberalized markets are New Zealan d, the UK, Sweden and Finland. Of these countries only New Zealand has chosen not to appoint a regulator, competition law is the only recour se open to new entrants to solve disputes. This Comment looks at the N ew Zealand regime and argues that while the new entrant has become est ablished very quickly, the explanation lies in the favourable intercon nection agreement the incumbent operator (TCNZ) unwittingly granted Cl ear Communications for toll and international bypass traffic, rather t han any claim to superiority of the New Zealand regime.