Public sector budget cuts appear to be behind a Telecommunications Users Association warning that it may have to disband because of a lack of funds.

Chief executive Paul Brislen said Tuanz should know whether or not it could survive next month.

He said there was a ''strong possibility'' the lobby group might have to wind up.

Five or six public sector agencies had cancelled their memberships and another 10 were late paying their fees.

Brislen said Tuanz's budget was at an all time low, and there was nothing left to cut other than his own job.

He appealed to late-payers to signal whether or not they cough up, so Tuanz could work out where it stood.

Tuanz retrenched in February, making four of its five staff redundant and axing its in-house events and conferences business, but said then that it did believe it had sufficient income to maintain its advocacy role.

Without the association, there wouldn't be any organisation representing telecommunications users as the industry switched to ultrafast broadband, Brislen said.

Equivalent users groups overseas had found themselves in a similar situation, he said.  

The Australian Telecommunications Users Group folded in September because of dwindling membership.

- © Fairfax NZ News