Get New Zealanders online now by creating digital champions

Get New Zealanders online now by creating digital champions says UK regeneration expert

Success of Ultra-Fast Broadband rests on galvanising its transformational use, not by providing access alone

NEW ZEALAND – An independent report, commissioned by Huawei Technologies New Zealand, into the transformational use of high speed broadband, urges the Government to implement a 23 point action plan to raise the country’s level of digital literacy and engagement. The report, Connecting Communities – The impact of Broadband on Communities in the UK and its implications for New Zealand, is authored by leading British urban regeneration expert, Dr Tim Williams.

“High-speed broadband is too significant to be left to geeks and engineers,” says Dr Williams. “We must move on from talking tenders and contracts to presenting a vision of what the technology can do to reconnect our society. The lessons for New Zealand are clear: we cannot measure success byaccess to broadband alone – the real goal must be its use by people.”

Dr Williams has advised the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on that city’s new design guide in the wake of the Olympic legacy, as well as the Rt Hon David Milliband when he was UKMinister for Local Government. Dr Williams was named UK Regeneration Personality of the Year in 2003.

Huawei Public Affairs Manager, Mark Champion, says “This groundbreaking report by Dr Williams presents compelling evidence on the social and economic impact of broadband across many facets of our lives, particularly in building and regenerating communities. Our hope is that Connecting Communities inspires debate in New Zealand around ideas for promoting greater social cohesion, delivering public services, as well as promoting democratic engagement and nation building.”

Connecting Communities highlights the surprisingly transformational nature of high speed broadband experience for users in the UK, and the key implications for New Zealand. These include a wealth of positive effects across rural and remote communities, education, health, public services, the environment, aged care, community involvement and even democratic engagement.

Connecting Communities present a series of 23 action steps New Zealand should take right now to enrich lives and communities, including:

• Prime Ministerial appointments of National and Local Digital Champions to galvanise online participation at all levels of New Zealand society

• A nationwide commitment to a deadline for the elimination of digitalilliteracy particularly amongst seniors, migrants, children and lower socioeconomic groups
• Subsidised Internet access to over 65s to ensure pensioners can make the most of opportunities available online
• Politicians moving from talking tenders and contracts to presenting avision of what the technology can do to re-connect our society

Lessons for New Zealand from the UK findings include:

• In education: results improved by two grades, with hard to teach kids getting switched on, especially if they had access to devices at home and school. Education is being transformed
• In health: telehealth is saving lives now in remote communities
• In rural areas – repopulation and rejuvenation; provincial populations which had previously been in decline are now well ahead of national growth figures due to broadband making the regions more feasible places to work
• In the care of the elderly: telecare is now enabling 1.7 million to stay in their communities, lead independent and sociable lives, making huge savings, and strengthening family cohesion.
• Older, disabled, the isolated: improved well being from tele-care and greaterconnectivity as 'silver surfers', speaking to long-lost friends and family on Skype, getting involved in communities online.
• In the environment: tele-conferencing and related home-working are already reducing emissions and congestion, andsupporting greater community involvement
• Public service efficiencies: the digitisation of X-rays is saving money and lives; local authorities and public services are sharing one network, saving millions and improving quality
• Public servants and politicians: are having to be more responsive, more immediately, because of the instantaneous interactivity of fast broadband – and this is empowering people who are normally too busy, too private or too remote, to go to face to face meetings.

Connecting Communities is available to download as a PDF from the TUANZ website www.tuanz.org.nz

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