Kiwis Continue to Embrace Broadband

Embargoed until 10:45am – 7 March 2007

Kiwis Continue to Embrace Broadband

Internet broadband (non-analog) subscriber numbers continue to increase, and are up nearly 30 percent in the six months to 30 September 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today. The total number of Internet subscribers in New Zealand is now almost 1.4 million. Results from the Internet Service Provider Survey for September 2006 also show that the number of dial-up subscribers fell further, with 5.1 percent fewer subscribers than at the end of March 2006.

The number of broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants grew from 9.0 to 14.7 in the year ended September 2006. Sustained broadband growth helped New Zealand jump from 22nd to 19th on the OECD June 2006 ranking.

Of all broadband subscribers, 97.6 percent had a data allowance cap on their subscription, with over twothirds having a cap of under 5GB.

In the 18 months to September 2006, 34 percent fewer Internet service providers reported that the regulatory environment relating to telecommunications had been a barrier to growth in the previous two years.

The Internet Service Provider Survey is a census of all Internet service providers in New Zealand and is conducted every six months.

Dallas Welch
Acting Government Statistician

ENDS

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