NZ Commerce Commission aims to pre-empt barriers to 'NBN' uptake

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 06 April 2011 09:00

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

New Zealand's Commerce Commission has released draft terms of reference for a demand side study for its planned Ultra-Fast Broadband network, the equivalent of Australia's NBN, in a bid to identify and if possible circumvent any impediments to uptake of UFB services.

While the scope of the planned study falls well short of a full cost-benefit analysis as demanded for the Australia's NBN by the Federal Opposition, a similar initiative in Australia could go some way towards addressing concerns that the NBN will prove to be a multibillion dollar white elephant.

The Commission is seeking feedback from stakeholders and interested parties on the draft terms of reference before they are finalised, and says the study will contribute to the identification of any issues that may impede the uptake of ultra-fast broadband (UFB) in New Zealand.

Telecommunications Commissioner, Dr Ross Patterson, said: "This study will result in a report which will identify any factors which may inhibit the uptake of ultra-fast broadband services. We can then use that information to inform the industry."

Prior to this, the draft terms of reference envisage the publication of a discussion paper summarising the results of the Commission's investigations and identifying any issues arising from these.

Also, the Commission intends to consult with interested parties and to hold a public conference in the latter part of the year, before producing a final report in December 2011.

The key actions specified in the draft ToR call for the study: "To analyse the drivers of uptake of high speed fibre broadband access in other jurisdictions; to identify whether there are any barriers likely to inhibit the uptake of high speed fibre broadband services in New Zealand, including peering, IP interconnection, data caps and content arrangements; and to determine whether network neutrality (where all data on the Internet is treated equally, whatever its source or destination) is an issue in New Zealand."