Sorry Telecom, it aint over yet.

Former Commerce Commission chairwoman Paula Rebstock has been appointed chairwoman of the Insurance & Savings Ombudsman (ISO) Commission, effective October 1.

During her tour of duty chairing the commission, Ms Rebstock, among other initiatives, oversaw sweeping telecommunications industry reform, including the operational separation of Telecom from March last year.

For what it's worth, Telecom is set to remain a closed shop, and New Zealanders set to share the same local calling plan. Quiet chaps like Tuanz boss Ernie Newman will continue to subsidise "the verbal excessess of your teenage daughters."

This morning, Labour Communications and IT spokeswoman Clare Curran said that "free" local telephone calls were under threat.