Having spent close to $200 million building its network New Zealand’s putative third mobile operator, NZ Communications, has played its cards close to its chest, refusing to name a launch date.

Now, a few grams of information have been squeezed out.

NZ Comms' head of corporate communciations Bryony Hilless says that on May 11 the telco will announce the brand it will use for its new network.

It will also announce when the new network will go live.

Some staff have said early June (a date supported by help ads calling for a mid-May start for customer-facing staff), but NZ Comms regulatory officer Tex Edwards has told NBR that the launch date is “hostage to the Resource Management Act.”

Mr Edwards is due to address a parliamentary select committee on the RMA this Wednesday.

His company is seeking greater clarity from the Commerce Commission on its investigations into mobile termination rates (what telcos charge each – or don’t, under NZ Comms proposal – for calls that cross between their network) and domestic roaming.

Domestic roaming is a vital issue for NZ Comms, because its customers will trip on to Vodafone’s network when outside Auckland, Welling and Christchurch where NZ Comms has built its own cell towers and other infrastructure.