Joining the TCF

How to Join

New members may join the TCF at any time and membership commences from the date the fee is fully paid up.

To join the TCF a party either needs to be an eligible person (as defined by the Telecommunications Act) and join the Forum as a Full Member, or alternatively, persons who are not eligible persons but who have an interest in the activities of the Forum and who are approved by the TCF Board, may join as General Associates.  

The Act defines an eligible person as a person who is: 

• Registered with the Commission for the purpose of voting on a draft code under clause 4 of schedule 2: and
• A member of the Forum (TCF)

Under clause 4(4) of Schedule 2 to the Act, persons are entitled to register with the Commission as eligible persons if the Commission is satisfied that they:

1. provide a telecommunications service by means of some component of a PSTN or PDN that is operated by that person
2. are an access seeker/provider of a designated or specified service
3. are a person whom the Commission determines has a material interest in a draft code because that person is about to become, within the foreseeable future, a person referred to in (1) or (2).

If you are interested in being registered as an eligible person, contact the Commerce Commission.

If you are interested in joining the TCF, either as a Full Member or as a General Associate, please contact the TCF CEO, David Stone.

Membership Types

For the purposes of these membership types, "financial year" and "liable person" have the same meaning as set out in the Telecommunications Act.

Full membership is split into the following membership tiers.

• Tier One members are liable persons that have telecommunications revenue greater than or equal to $250million in the preceding financial year.

• Tier Two members are liable persons who have telecommunications revenue of less than $250million but greater than or equal to $50millions in the preceding finanical year.

• Tier Three members are liable persons who have telecommunications revenue of less than $50million but greater than or equal to $10million in the preceding financial year.

• Tier Four members are liable persons who have telecommunications revenue of less than $10million in the preceding financial year, or, any eligible person that is not a liable person.

General Associates are approved by the Board on a case by case basis.

Annual Membership Fees

The annual fees for the Forum are allocated on a tiered basis.  Details of the appropriate fees per tier are available to prospective members upon request made to the Forum Administrator.