New Zealand sets bold rural broadband goal

eGov Innovation editors
13 Oct 2015
00:00

The New Zealand government has announced an ambitious new connectivity target that will have virtually all New Zealanders, regardless of where they live or work, have access to broadband at peak speeds of at least 50Mbps by 2025.

The government’s vision is to get 99% of residents access broadband at the target peak speeds. The remaining 1% should able to access up to to 10Mbps.

Rural communities are set to benefit most under the new targets which mark a ten-fold increase on the current target peak speeds of 5 Mbps under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI).

“Our use of, and reliance on, technology and broadband connectivity are increasing rapidly. It’s vital that we set aspirational targets to ensure we keep up with this pace of change. This is about setting a vision of where we want New Zealand to be in ten years,” said communications minister Amy Adams.

Budget 2015 set aside $360 million to extend Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and the RBI and establish a Mobile Black Spot Fund as well.

The Minister said fast, reliable broadband allows rural and farming communities and regions to remove the barriers and disadvantages of distance, and provided opportunities for them to raise productivity, attract and retain staff, and compete on a national and global stage

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