Joyce issues death warrant to regional fibre rollout

Today’s government decision to require national, instead of region by region rural broadband proposals is a virtual death warrant to regional competition and suggests that the ground is being laid for Telecom to win both the urban and rural broadband schemes, Labour’s communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran said.

“Despite plans by the Regional Fibre Group, which represents a collection of electricity lines companies, to now submit a national approach, it appears on the face of it that one infrastructure deliverer will take both urban and national broadband programmes,” Clare Curran said.

“The only national company with that sort of capacity is Telecom and it appears that the government is providing the basis for this decision to be made

“Today’s announcement has changed the goalposts on how rural broadband will be rolled out without any public discussion or explanation. It has raised speculation that a deal is being done with Telecom,” Clare Curran said.

“It appears the Government is after a 'neat' solution to rolling out broadband but how will huge diversity in rural NZ be prioritised? And what does this decision mean for bidders for the ultrafast broadband urban network?

“Does the Minister not see that this decision will harm a number of the providers who have already begun delivering fibre optic based services to their regional communities through their own investments?”

ENDS

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