'Dear John...' Deborah hill Cone writes a letter to Prime Minister John Key about her holiday in the Hokianga.

NZ shares rose to a two-month high, paced by Chorus, Kathmandu and Sky Network Television as the prospects of strong economic growth drew retail investors to the equity market.

Vodafone has settled a case with the Commerce Commission and paid out almost $270,000 to 11,000 customers who signed up to a mobile broadband promotion.

Telstra has sold off its shrinking directories business Sensis as it builds up a multibillion-dollar stockpile of cash to fund investment and, possibly, higher returns for shareholders.

Yahoo! Xtra email account users are being asked to delete any suspicious emails they receive as Telecom investigates a possible virus.

Telecommunications behemoth Digicel is considering buying Telecom New Zealand's interest in the Cook Islands' biggest phone and internet phone provider.

I have been in the job eight months now, it's been full of challenges, and we are starting to see real traction.

An advert featuring Kim Dotcom offering "truly unlimited broadband" has been deemed misleading by the advertising watchdog.

An even temper, good manners and careful record keeping can help defeat call centres that don't co-operate.

The Financial Markets Authority says it will investigate the trading of shares in Chorus after receiving a complaint about unusual price movements on Friday.

Chorus could cut its funding shortfall for the ultra-fast broadband project from $1 billion to $200-250 million.

Slingshot marketers used login codes to access a Telecom database to improperly switch over customers without their consent.

Internet company Slingshot has accepted Commerce Commission findings that 27 customers were transferred to it without authorisation.

Stories carried overnight by international media say US and UK spies have spent years trawling online games for terrorists and informants.

New blacklisting system will help stop mobile phone thefts by reducing street value of stolen devices, say police.

Telecom has sold its Australian AAPT unit for A$450m to ASX-listed internet service provider, TPG Telecom, beating initial expectations of what the unit would go for.

Chorus' share price has plunged by 50 per cent over the past year - now one of its big shareholders, BNY Mellon, has cut its holding from 7.45pc to 6.3pc. Photo / NZ Herald

Chorus' ultra-fast broadband contracts could be changed to ensure the project is not at risk.

Prime Minister John Key says the timetable for the ultra-fast broadband rollout will not be changed, despite a report saying Chorus is not delivering on its contracts.

Govt not expecting to invest any more than the $1.35b already committed to UFB, despite an independent probe indicating the Chorus' leg of the project is at risk if changes aren't made.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has opened fire on Vodafone, saying the telecommunications giant silently backed the so-called "copper tax" coalition.

Hurrah for democracy. Hurrah for independent regulators. And bloody good job by the parties who gave a collective "no" to National Party cronyism, writes Chris Barton.