On 6 October, we kicked off a transition process to move from our existing contractual terms for fibre services to a new 2022 CSA.

The impetus for the timing of this transition process is the implementation of a new regulatory model from 1 January 2022. We need to update the existing contract to ensure it is fit for purpose under that new regulatory model. These regulatory updates are essential to this transition process.

The understand phase identified prioritised issues which should also form part of the transition scope:

• Priority 1 – change (including price change mechanic) and end-customer relationships; and
• Priority 2 – liability and insurance provisions and security requirements.

Design phase outputs – possible future states for consideration

We are currently in the second phase of the 2022 CSA transition, being the ‘design phase’. This phase is about co-designing possible future states for priority issues for us to consider and refine together.

Your feedback during the understand phase suggested a preference for Chorus to provide more detailed information about its view of what a potential future state may look like for some issues, rather adopt a co-design approach. On that basis, this phase is also about us using the understand insights to develop strawman future state proposals on certain agreed matters.

We’ve summarised below the design approach taken for individual issues and identified how we’ve put together the resulting outputs for consideration:

See below for details on next steps and the timing for feedback from you on these outputs (including the proposed future states). 

Additional updates

Dedicated webpage

The dedicated webpage for this transition process is now live at  https://sp.chorus.co.nz/inflight-projects/2022-CSA-transition. This will be a central hub for all information regarding the transition process (e.g. timelines, workshop summaries etc). We’re also intending to use this site as a repository for contractual drafts and drafting feedback in addition to regular updates on progress and next steps.

You gave us feedback that there might be a need for password protection of the content published to this webpage at some stage during the transition process.  We have built functionality which enables us to password protect individual documents uploaded to this site.  You will be able to access these documents using your SP website password (i.e. you will need to register as a SP website user if you haven’t already in order to gain access).

Structure of 2022 CSA

Together we’ve now agreed the transition scope for the new 2022 CSA.  This scope is narrower than we’d originally anticipated when we started talking with you in early October.  Although our initial view at that time was that a blank page approach generally was preferable, we accept that – given the narrower agreed scope – it is more pragmatic to mark-up the existing terms.

Having said that, we’ll need to consider further whether we adopt a blank page approach for the individual priority items which are essential to the transition process; change and end-customer relationships.  We’ll discuss this more with you in the new year.

Next steps

We’re now moving into the test and iterate phase of the transition process., and have set out below what is coming next:

Let us know if you’d like (i) to attend the all RSP session, and/or (ii) us to schedule a bilateral feedback session with you, by emailing us at  2022csa@chorus.co.nz by Friday 5 February 2021.

For all other queries please contact  2022csa@chorus.co.nz at first instance also.