Wellington, May 23 NZPA - Telecom may gain a rival in the Cook Islands -- a local company owned by Cook Islanders, KukiCel, is lobbying to upset its monopoly on mobile phone and internet services there.

A proposal to set up a new mobile phone service in the Cook Islands will be presented to the government next week, Radio New Zealand International reported.

Telecom Cook Islands is 60 percent owned by Telecom New Zealand and 40 percent by the Cook Islands government.

KukiCel has been lobbying the Government for eight months to change the legislation which allows the monopoly.

The company's secretary, William Framhein, said the existing services were not adequate and his company could do better.

"It's a coverage problem ... and secondly the cost of cellular services today is outrageous."

KukiCel hopes to move into the internet market as well, he said. KukiCel's parent company, Mervin Communications Ltd, was told by the Minister for Telecommunications, Jim Marurai, on April 9 that the company would have to wait for amended legislation.

NZPA