Wellington, May 5 NZPA - Vodafone yesterday rejected offers from independent mediators to settle the row over claimed interference from the new Telecom 3G mobile network.

So the companies will be in the High Court at Auckland tomorrow as Vodafone seeks an injunction that would turn off Telecom's XT mobile network, due to launch on Wednesday next week.

Ralph Chivers, chief executive of the Telecommunications Carriers Forum -- which covers the two parties as well as TelstraClear -- said he offered mediation as he had expertise in mobile phone network designs, The New Zealand Herald reported today.

The Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand (TUANZ) was aware of other offers for an independent mediated settlement.

Telecom spokesman Mark Watts said that Telecom had not solicited the offers but had welcomed them.

But Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen said it was too late to keep the matter out of court with mediation.

In Vodafone's claim to the High Court it said there had been a 147 percent increase in formal complaints and a 154 percent increase in customers cancelling since Telecom started transmitting on its new network.

Vodafone sought an injunction to prevent transmissions "until Telecom could demonstrate it no longer caused harmful interference".

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