Digital Strategy 2.0 – Smarter through Digital
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Media Statement
28 August 2008
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Digital Strategy 2.0 – Smarter through
Digital
Communications and Information Technology Minister
David Cunliffe launched
Digital Strategy 2.0
today.
“This Strategy provides a bold vision and
concrete actions to help New
Zealanders become leaders in
the digital world.”
“Revolutionary change has occurred
since the 2005 Digital Strategy. Robust
competition is
driving a wave of investment to build super fast
broadband
networks,“ said David Cunliffe.
“No
country has more to gain from this digital revolution than
New Zealand.
Through it we overcome our remoteness,
leverage our inventiveness and show
off our
uniqueness.
”The building blocks of the Digital Strategy
remain relevant: super fast
connection, enhanced user
confidence and cool content. DS 2.0 sets out
targets and
actions that take these to the next level and emphasises
the
importance of collaboration to get there.
“DS 2.0
challenges us to go further to secure outcomes from
this
technology: new digital productivity; reduced
environmental footprints, and
communities that are
locally networked and globally connected.”
“To do this
we are introducing a number of exciting new projects such
as
Connected New Zealand and the Digital Content
Innovation Cluster. We’re
also expanding successful
initiatives, such as videoconferencing and
teleworking,
the Aotearoa People’s Network and the Community
Partnership
Fund.”
A major initiative of the Strategy
is the $340 million for the Broadband
Investment Fund
over three years from Budget 2008 to enable
affordable
broadband roll-out based on competitive
open-access principles. This is
part of the $500 million
the government has committed to investing in
broadband
infrastructure over the next five years. DS2 sets updated
targets
for connection speed and super fast broadband
rollout.
David Cunliffe said the government was committed
to creating digital
opportunities by bringing the
benefits of ICT to all New Zealanders.
“The Digital
Strategy is about people and their ability to connect to
the
world. It’s about bringing all New Zealanders on
the journey by breaking
down the digital divide, and
building their capability and confidence in
using ICT.
The future belongs to us
all.”
ends