New Zealand’s Ministry of Economic Development has reached agreements with Telecom and Vodafone to renew their cellular spectrum rights in the 800MHz and 900MHz bands in a deal that also paves the way for a third mobile operator to enter the market. As a condition of the NZD106 million (USD80.35 million) deal which will run for the next 20 years, Telecom and Vodafone are obliged to make some of the spectrum available to a new entrant. Both Telecom and Vodafone have completed sales of spectrum to NZ Communications, formerly Econet Wireless.