Student Research into Cellphone Market - Prizes

28 March 2006

Media Statement

Student Research into Cellphone Market - $10,000 in Prizes

Secondary school students are being encouraged to carry out research regarding New Zealand’s position amongst OECD countries in terms of its cellphone market and cellphone pricing. Econet Wireless is running a competition with prizes totalling more than $10,000.

Students are being asked to compare New Zealand’s cellphone market and prices with OECD countries, by looking at a number of factors including:

- Identifying the names of all the cellphone networks in the 30 OECD countries
- Finding out the costs of calls and text messages across all networks for each country
- Noting if the costs of calls and text messages differ between two or more networks
- Highlighting the difference in the cost of airtime per minute between prepaid and contract phones
- Comparing and contrasting these prices to current deals in New Zealand
- Comparing the technology used in networks (eg, is it SIM card GSM based network or is it CDMA?) and working out the effect of the different technology in swapping service provider and handsets

Tex Edwards, Project Director, Econet Wireless New Zealand, says he is expecting an excellent response to the competition, because so many people have been demanding more pricing competition in the NZ mobile market.

“Cellphone pricing hits teenagers and young New Zealanders as hard as it hits small businesses and other telecommunications consumers in this country. Texting in particular has become part of youth culture and teenagers are very savvy when it comes to pricing and offers. Teenagers can’t often talk because talk is just so expensive in New Zealand. We expect a lot of students will be interested in finding out what is going on overseas and expect very high quality submissions to our competition.”

The competition closes on May 31. First prize is $5,000 and five mobile phones. Students interested in entering can visit www.cellphonecomp.co.nz for more information.

ENDS

Important notes

All entries remain the property of Econet Wireless New Zealand (“Econet Wireless”). Personal information is required in order to contact winning entries. Econet Wireless will use your personal information only for the purposes of this competition and will not pass it on to any other party. It may, however, use this information to contact you about other competitions, products or services in the future. If you do not wish to be contacted, please indicate clearly in the section with your personal details.

The winning entry will be announced on 1st June 2006. Winning entries will be contacted by post and the names of winners will be published in the NZ Herald and The Dominion. Prizes will be awarded to the winning entrants on 15th June. The prizes are not transferable and Econet Wireless accepts no responsibility for non delivery of prizes. Econet Wireless reserves the right to offer a substitute prize in the event that the stated prize is no longer available. If a winning entry is uncontactable or doesn’t claim their prize before 30th June Econet Wireless reserves the right to either offer that prize to another entry or withdraw the prize from the competition.

Econet Wireless will judge the entries according to its own criteria. The judge’s decision is final and no further discussion will be entered into. By participating in this competition you acknowledge that Econet Wireless shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury which is suffered or sustained, as a result of participation in this competition, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law. In particular you acknowledge that Econet Wireless is not responsible for the content of any websites or resources referred to by it and that you freely choose to visit and/or use these, and any other, websites and resources. Econet Wireless shall not be liable for any loss suffered by, or claims made against, you as a result of visiting, using or collecting information from, or in connection with, any website or resource whatsoever.

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