isen.blog

Small fish, but New Zealand is a beautiful and delightfully manageable pond.

NZ Herald Story: Isenberg's Internet Nightmare, Why NZ Broadband Sucks

Here's the report from the TUANZ blog.

Here's a video of Ernie Newman and Sarah Putt, my gracious, inimitable TUANZ hosts!


And here's a transcript of a Radio NZ story on the TUANZ trouble I tried to stir up:

MARY WILSON: A telecommunications expert says the economic benefits from putting in ultra fast fibre network into every home and business would be enormous, despite a $6 billion-plus price tag. Speaking at the Telecommunication[sic] Users Association conference in Wellington today, David Isenberg told the audience it could be completed in five years, but the Government says that's unrealistic.

Rachel Askew has more.

REPORTER: David Isenberg says splitting Telecom into three parts - network, wholesale and retail - is a good first step. But, he says, that's not good enough if New Zealand wants to be among the world elite. He estimates it would cost $4.2 billion to install fibre to New Zealand's 1.3 million homes, plus another $2 billion to upgrade the undersea cable that links the country to the rest of the world. He also says bringing fibre to homes could be closer than people think.

DAVID ISENBERG: Now, there's no reason why New Zealand can't complete this in five years. Japan did it in five years; Amsterdam did it in five years; Stockholm did it in three years a decade ago.

REPORTER: However, the Government says that's unrealistic. The Communications Minister David Cunliffe says, within the decade is a more reasonable time frame. But, he says, even then, the rollout of fibre needs to be affordable for households and firms.

DAVID CUNLIFFE: Fibre to the home should not be made at any cost, particularly if the cost of such investment is higher prices for all end users, reduced competition and the entrenchment of a possible monopolistic practice.

REPORTER: Two weeks ago, the National Party Leader, John Key, said a National Government would invest $1.5 billion to help part fund an ultra fast fibre network. But speaking at the conference, the Deputy Leader, Bill English, warned a National Government would want a return on its investment.

BILL ENGLISH: The problems of how you make money out of high capital investment with low, variable costs is just the same whether the Crown is there or not. And we will want to make sure that the fundamental economics are what - are driving our decisions, not just day-to-day political pressures.

REPORTER: He says any government contribution has to lead to measurable increases in service.

For Checkpoint, Rachel Askew.