Understanding people's experiences of the NZ Relay Service to support a contract tender process
Web version of the consultation document: Understanding people's experiences of the NZ Relay Service to support a contract tender process.
On this page I tēnei whārangi
Information on how to give your feedback is available on the Have your say page:
What is the NZ Relay Service?
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) funds the delivery of the ‘telecommunications relay service’ - The NZ Relay Service. The service helps New Zealanders who are Deaf, Deafblind, hard-of-hearing, experiencing hearing loss, or have speech impediments use the phone and communicate. This service is funded through the government’s Telecommunications Development Levy, which is paid by eligible telecommunications providers.
What do we want to speak with the community about?
MBIE is responsible for making sure the services it funds are delivered well. This includes getting ideas and feedback from people in the community who use the service. MBIE are issuing a contract tender for the operation of the NZ Relay Service in mid-2026, which looks at service delivery in 2027 and beyond. This process wants to make sure the service remains relevant and meets users' needs. As part of this process, MBIE want to speak with people:
- To understand how the Relay Service is meeting the needs of its users.
- To get input from the community on potential improvements and changes to service delivery in response to technology changes and misuse.
How long do you have to give feedback, and what happens with what you tell us?
You will be able to give feedback from June 2 2026, until July 6 2026.
The feedback you give will help MBIE in its contract tender process, so that the Relay Service can be at its best. In the pages below, you will find more information about the topics for feedback and the questions being asked.
In this section I tēnei wāhanga
Topic 1: Current services and their usage
This section explains what the NZ Relay Service currently does. This helps us ask questions to understand how the service is meeting the needs of its users.
Topic 2: Misuse
This section explains that the NZ Relay Service has had instances of being misused. This helps us ask questions to understand how we can deliver an inclusive service, while making sure everyone is safe, and misuse is limited.
Background information about the NZ Relay Service
The NZ Relay Service began in 2004. It helps New Zealanders who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, experiencing hearing loss, Deafblind, or who experience speech impediments to use telecommunications services to communicate.
Publications of submissions and information requests
When you send in your submission, it might be put on this website. If you do not want your submission published on the MBIE website, you have to tell us clearly.