May 20 - 11:05am EDT   Apple is continuing to negotiate contracts for the next-generation iPhone, even as an anticipated announcement at WWDC approaches, information from New Zealand reveals. Using its Twitter feed, Telecom New Zealand has stated that it is not only in negotiations with Apple, but "very focused on the 3rd gen iPhone." The accuracy of the tweet has been reinforced by the carrier's retail chief, Alan Gourdie, who tells New Zealand's National Business Review that TNZ is in "deep discussions" with Apple. [full story]

March 28 - 10:30am EDT   An expansion to New Zealand's cellular networks may open the way for the iPhone, a research firm observes. TeleGeography says it has learned from Telecom New Zealand's director of mobile operations, Martin Butler, that it is a "good inference" that the company will bring over the iPhone. It is in the middle of building a new, $300 million NZD ($241.2 million US) GSM/EDGE network, which should support the 850MHz frequency of the iPhone. Commercial rollout of the network is expected sometime in November, and should reach 97 percent of New Zealand's population. [full story]