WELLINGTON (NZPA)

A Telecom executive has labelled as "ridiculous" rumours the company was looking at spending $NZ700 million ($A618.37 million) to $NZ1.2 billion ($A1.06 billion) on a new hybrid mobile phone network.

Telecom has been left as the sole provider of the CDMA cellular technology in Australia and New Zealand, meaning its customers travelling to Australia are without adequate roaming options.

Kevin Kenrick, head of Telecom's consumer division, said the company was pleased with its world phone solution, but was always considering new technology, The Dominion Post reported.

The cost of dual-mode, or world phone, mobile phones running on CDMA and GSM was falling, he said.

A network using wideband CDMA, running across radio spectrum, was also now a more viable option.

Telecom would build a GSM network, used by rival Vodafone, only if it was the best long-term solution, Mr Kenrick said.

Rumours of a new hybrid network costing $NZ700 million to $NZ1.2 billion were "ridiculous".
19/03/2007 08:16:28 AM