Chorus to appeal High Court judgment

Chorus [NZX: CNU] says it has sought leave to appeal the High Court decision that sided with the Commerce Commission over copper line pricing.

The company had sought to get the regulator's pricing determination - which it says will wipe $1 billiion off its ebitda through to 2019 - tossed out.

“We must continue to use every option available to us in order provide clarification of pricing principles and section 18/18 (2A), which is a critical part of the regulatory regime and affects both current and future industry outcomes,” said Vanessa Oakley, Chorus General Counsel this morning.

“It is important to note that seeking this further guidance does not disturb Chorus’ strong focus on the Final Pricing Principle (FPP) processes underway, which are due to be completed by the Commission by 1 December 2014.”

InternetNZ says it's disappointed that Chorus has sought leave to appeal.  CEO Jordan Carter says that the Court was unequivocal in its judgement, and was particularly strong in setting out the way section 18 of the Act operates – the part Chorus argues was misinterpreted.

“Justice Kos made it very clear that the Commission knew what it was doing, and was doing it well. For Chorus to come out now and say that not only the Commerce Commission got it wrong, but so too did the High Court is just over the top.”

Mr Carter says that Chorus should turn its attention to the FPP process so the industry can get some certainty around copper pricing.

“Companies have the right to legal action, of course; that is what the Courts are for. But the High Court has made a ruling, it is clear and it gives certainty. It’s time to move on."

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Chorus loses bid to have ComCom's copper pricing determination tossed out by High Court

UPDATED / April 8: The law change allowing Telecom to carve out its Chorus [NZX: CNU] network unit to participate in the government's ultra-fast broadband scheme "was always going to drive a pricing sea-change" for the company's regulated services, according to a High Court judge.

LATEST: High Court verdict a legal blow for Chorus - but also a major political blow

Justice Stephen Kos today turned down an appeal by Chorus to have the regulator's initial pricing principle (IPP) set aside, and for the commission to redo the process after its first decision ordered Chorus to slash prices for access to its copper lines.

The judge said the commission did what Parliament prescribed in finding an IPP price based on international benchmarks relatively quickly and cheaply, and that the appropriate response by unhappy parties was to request a more fulsome final pricing principle under the legislation.

"The IPP outcome was not evidently irrational, however unpalatable it may have become to Chorus," the judge said.

Justice Kos said the commission was aware Chorus wanted a higher price to be determined under the IPP, and the draft price it proposed "involved a very substantial reduction" from the $21.46 price under the old regime.

"As to regulatory shock, the commission was plainly aware of the submission," the judgment said. "But the new statutory regime was always going to drive a pricing sea-change."

Chorus appealed the commission's final determination in November last year setting the unbundled bitstream access monthly price at $34.44 per line, up from the $32.35 price initially mulled in its draft decision, with the additional UBA component accounting for $10.92 and the unbundled copper local loop accounting for $23.52.

At last month's hearing, Chorus claimed the regulator erred in law when setting the price Chorus can charge for access to its UBA services in that it didn't have any evidential basis to narrow its inquiry and ignored a section of the legislation aiming to support the government's goal of building a nationwide fibre network.

The commission rejected the claim, arguing that the change in regulation, rather than the decision, had shocked the market.

Justice Kos today said the regulator's benchmark range of prices followed "a process probably more extensive than Parliament had in mind" and wasn't limited when the commission reached its determination. It also exercised permissible judgement when applying a section of the law designed to minimise the risk regulation would have on investment and innovation in the sector, he said.

"Despite the combined intelligence and force with which Chorus's submissions were delivered, I am left unpersuaded that the commission erred in law in setting the IPP price for UBA," the judge said.

(BusinessDesk)

EARLIER / April 8: Chorus [NZX: CNU]  the telecommunications network operator, has lost a bid to dismiss a Commerce Commission determination setting the price for services on its copper lines.

The High Court turned down the Wellington-based company's attempt to have the regulator's initial pricing principle set aside, and for the commission to redo the process after its first decision ordered Chorus to slash prices for access to its copper lines. The judgment leaves the status quo in place, which means the regulator will have to complete a more fulsome final pricing principle by Dec. 1, Chorus said.

"It was important that a regulatory decision of such significance for investment in communications infrastructure enabling better broadband for New Zealand was reviewed by the court," Chorus general counsel Vanessa Oakley said. "Our focus continues on the parallel commission processes that use cost modelling for the first time to review the benchmarked prices of regulated services."

At last month's hearing, Chorus claimed the regulator erred in law when setting the price Chorus can charge for access to its unbundled bitstream access services in that it didn't have any evidential basis to narrow its inquiry and ignored a section of the legislation aiming to support the government's goal of building a nationwide fibre network.

The commission rejected the claim, arguing that the change in regulation, rather than the decision, had shocked the market.

The shares rose 0.6 percent to $1.79 yesterday, and have climbed 24 percent this year, after being punished last year at the height of the regulatory uncertainty.

(BusinessDesk)