Broadband in New Zealand
Affordable, high speed broadband internet access drives productivity and economic growth. The expansion and development of broadband is a vital component of New Zealand's economic sustainablity and is a critical part of New Zealand's national infrastructure. The Ministry has had a long involvement with helping to create an environment fostering the development of broadband in New Zealand.
Ultra-fast broadband
The government wishes to create a step-change in the provision of broadband services by delivering on an aspirational goal of ultra-fast broadband for the majority of New Zealanders.
This is a key part of the government's wider strategy to increase New Zealand's global competitiveness, particularly compared to other OECD countries.
The government's broadband objective
The government's goal for broadband investment is to accelerate the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband to 75% of New Zealanders, concentrating in the first six years on priority broadband users such as businesses, schools and health services, plus green field developments and certain tranches of residential areas.
This will be supported by government investment of up to $1.5 billion alongside additional private sector investment, and be directed to open-access infrastructure.
Key principles
The achievement of the government’s broadband objective will be consistent with the following principles:
- making a significant contribution to economic growth;
- neither discouraging, nor substituting for, private sector investment;
- avoiding entrenching the position, or "lining the pockets", of existing broadband network providers;
- avoiding excessive infrastructure duplication;
- focussing on building new infrastructure, and not unduly preserving the "legacy assets" of the past; and
- ensuring affordable broadband services.
Documents
The Minister for Communications and Information Technology is currently consulting on the government's draft proposal for implementing its broadband initiative. The proposal is set out in a consultation document which can be found here:
Broadband initiative consultation document – 31 March 2009
Submissions should be sent to:
Broadband investment submissions
ICT Regulatory Group
Energy and Communications Branch
Ministry of Economic Development
PO Box 1473
WELLINGTON
email: broadbandsubmissions@med.govt.nz
Submissions close at 5:00pm on 27 April 2009.
The Minister's media statement regarding the proposal is available from the Beehive website.
A cost study prepared for Treasury regarding Fibre to the Premise roll-out has also been made publicly available and can be found here:
FTTP cost study - February 2009
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