Its customers range from consumers to small - medium business, government agencies and large enterprise clients.

[8] In 1990, Telecom was sold to two United States–based telecommunications companies, Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic) and Ameritech, for NZ$4.25 billion.

[9] After Telecom was privatized, the Kiwi Share agreement was drawn up, which included a provision that the company retained free local calling for residential customers.

The following year, Ameritech sold down its 24.8% shareholding in an international public offering, and Bell Atlantic issued exchangeable notes that were convertible into the Telecom shares that it owned.

Telecom's broadband Internet service based on ADSL technology, called JetStream, was launched and rolled-out progressively in local exchanges.

This resulted in complaints that this was in breach of Telecom's Kiwishare Agreement where residential customers are allowed free local calling.

The decade was rounded off with Theresa Gattung being appointed new CEO of Telecom, with Rod Deane moving to the position of chairman.

[citation needed] Evidence emerged in early 2002 of Telecom having exploited an ill-considered, or fraudulently made to order, accounting standard (FRS38) to inflate its year 2001 reported profit by some $263 million.

Being insolvent has been wrongly taken as substantial evidence that the holding company will no longer share in the associates profits and losses.

Introduced to the market by the product manager, David Beale, they succeeded in the very first IoT-device connections in the region connecting, amongst other things, Coke's vending machines, NZ Post's couriers and parcel tracking, and telemetry data from the Americas Cup yacht races in Auckland to feed a realtime TV graphics service.

These plans included a free 4G upgrade (4G was made available two months later in November 2013) with a 1GB of data per day from Telecom WiFi hotspots.

[54] In October 2013, Telecom sought clearance to acquire management rights for parts of the 700 MHz spectrum with the intention of developing of its 4G mobile network.

[citation needed] In a decision by the Government on 3 May 2006, Telecom was forced to unbundle the local loop, to provide "access to fast, competitively priced broadband internet".

[57] The decision significantly affected the company's market share,[58] and allowed competitors (such as TelstraClear, Orcon and ihug) to offer broadband and other communications services throughout New Zealand by installing their own equipment in exchanges.

The main opposition National Party initially opposed the unbundling decision, but later voted in favour of it after a select committee hearing.

This ruling allowed Vodafone New Zealand to establish a mobile phone product which could also provide free local calling.

[64] The Government introduced the Telecommunications Amendment Bill in November 2006 to force Telecom to open its network to competitors.

[citation needed] The TDMA network used the 025 mobile prefix, using a mixture of six- and seven-digit subscriber numbers.

[75] There were concerns that Spark's broadcast of the Rugby World Cup would struggle under New Zealand's internet capabilities especially in rural communities and anticipated audience numbers streaming matches resulting in similar issues to Optus Sport's broadcasting FIFA World Cup 2018 in Australia.

On the second day of the Rugby World Cup, Spark Sport suffered technical issues during its live stream of the match between New Zealand and South Africa leaving viewers unable to watch the game, as a result broadcast of the second half was simulcast of traditional television on TVNZ Duke as part of a contingency plan with free-to-air broadcaster TVNZ for issues during the Rugby World Cup.

[citation needed] Spark Sport was the host broadcaster for the 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand.

[citation needed] In December 2022, Spark Sport announced that it would be shutting down in the second half of 2023 due to a combination of financial and technical problems.

[81] When Telecom held a general monopoly in New Zealand telecommunications, it was criticised for using its incumbent status to charge high prices.

[citation needed] Competitors alleged that Telecom engaged in unfair practices to prevent them from gaining ground, for example by reselling broadband capacity to Xtra at lower prices than to other ISPs.

[citation needed] In July 2005, two dozen Internet service providers formally complained to New Zealand's Commerce Commission via a letter.

At a retail level Telecom now faces competition in all areas — cellular, internet, toll-calls and, subject to ongoing developments, in local calling.

During her opening address to parliament, Prime Minister Helen Clark criticised the state of the internet in New Zealand.

While in Wellington for an ICANN meeting, Vint Cerf was reported to have made a personal visit to David Cunliffe, the telecommunications minister where it is believed he recommended that Telecom be unbundled.

[95][96] The government investigated whether it needed to force Telecom to unbundle the network, thereby allowing other companies access and improving broadband service for consumers.

provided Telecom's email service, which came under heavy criticism in early 2013 following a spam and phishing attack described as the biggest to have ever hit the country.