The telecommunications market in New Zealand is fully liberalised and competitive. Fixed line communications exist in a structurally separated market, with wholesale infrastructure providers prohibited from competing in the retail space, and retailers having equal access to last mile connectivity. Three cellular providers operate infrastructure networks, and there are five national fibre networks connecting cities and towns with 80% or more of the population.

Until 2017, New Zealand's sole modern submarine cables were operated by the Southern Cross Cable Network since 2001. SCCN cables link New Zealand to Sydney and Hawaii, though due to the pricing of connectivity in Hawaii, all of New Zealand's US-bound capacity exits on the west coast of the United States. 2017 saw the Tasman Global Alliance cable, a new high-speed link to Sydney, come into production.

New Zealand hosts several satellite earth stations, and terminates traffic for a number of Pacific islands and parts of Antarctica. By 2018, it should also be serviced by the Hawaiki Cable. Hawaiki will stretch from Sydney to Oregon, with branches to New Zealand and a landing in Honolulu. It's a unique project in that it's privately backed, not funded by a consortium of telcos who might restrict its use.