2degrees’ spectrum concerns fail to gain media traction

On Friday mobile carrier 2degrees issue a press release complaining about Vodafone plans to buy the unsold block of 700 MHz spectrum.

Curiously the release was comprehensively ignored by news media and bloggers. At the time of writing, Monday morning, the only result from this simple Google News search – 2degrees vodafone chilling – shows just the raw press release.

In Vodafone’s chilling attempt to monopolise spectrum, the company says shows Vodafone “will pay whatever it takes to stall true competition in mobile”.

"Chilling reading"

The release quotes 2degrees CEO Stewart Sherriff who says Vodafone’s public comment that the spectrum should be sold to “the party that values it the most” adds to chilling reading in its Commerce Commission application for the scarce resource.

Mr Sherriff says these comments are aimed at ensuring 2degrees does not grow, ultimately undermining its ability to become a full service telecommunications provider that challenges Vodafone and Telecom in the fixed and mobile markets.

“We are investing in a national network, growing our customer base and launching new services. We’ve made it clear we intend to leverage the UFB to compete head on with Vodafone and Telecom in the total telecommunications market.”

He says: “Vodafone already has more spectrum than anyone else and is seeking to use its market power to gain even more. This is a once in a generation allocation and the outcome will impact the telecommunications market for the next 18 years”.

Putting aside the merits or otherwise of 2degrees’ point in the release, it’s interesting to see how little traction the story got in the media. It seems no-one is interested in more complex competition issues.

Meanwhile, Telecom NZ has thrown its hat into the 700 MHz spectrum auction ring.