Telecommunication

Press, 28 January 1988, Page 40

Telecommunication

Sir, —I regard the statements by Richard Prebble on telecommunication deregulation as halftruths and a distortion of the facts. It is highly unlikely that competition will reduce toll costs by 50 per cent to everyone as big business will only move in to cream off the high profits of the high-volume, inter-city traffic. These companies will not be interested in providing telecommunications to provincial and residential users so regional development will not be improved but detrimentally affected as Telecom will have less revenue to cover the cost of providing services to these areas. Where are the details from the “survey" of exporters? My guess is that topping the list would have been exorbitant interest rates and an over-valued dollar, but Mr Prebble is silent on these. And, finally, Murray Ball has been able to “fax” cartoons around the world from Gisborne for the last five years. — Yours, etc., S. J. HANSEN. January 23, 1988.