New Zealand's Commerce Commission has published a report benchmarking the country's telecommunications services against those overseas, but its findings on the price of broadband Internet services are at odds with reality.

The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force is tipping 2012 to be the watershed year for IPv6 adoption in New Zealand, saying that many government organisations anticipate making at least some of their public services available natively on IPv6."

While most Australians now enjoy fixed line Internet access plans with several hundred gigabytes of data, in New Zealand over two thirds have less than 20GB per month, and less than 30,000 of almost 1.5m broadband users have data caps in excess of 50GB.

The UN's special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, has tabled a report saying that there should be minimal restriction of information on the Internet but warning that Governments are increasingly controlling the Internet because of its potential to mobilise people to challenge the status quo.

New Zealand telcos and user organisations are proposing changes to the enabling legislation for the country's Ultrafast Broadband Network (UFB) that, as it stands, would give providers a ten-year holiday from pricing regulation. Instead they want to see Australian style 'special access undertakings' adopted.

The head of InternetNZ, Vikram Kumar, has called on the Government to take a lead in IPv6 adoption, saying that, in the absence of any Government funding to assist with the transition, industry groups are under increasing pressure.

InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) has announced that Harvard University Professor of Law, Lawrence Lessig - widely known as vocal proponent of reduced legal restrictions on digital copyright - will deliver the keynote address at its NetHui 2011 conference in July.

In a rare show of unity, New Zealand telcos, user and consumer organisations have joined forces to oppose planned legislation that will pave the way for structural separation of Telecom NZ, and for the Government funded Ultrafast Broadband Network (UFB), the equivalent of Australia's NBN.

New Zealand's Internet industry association, InternetNZ, has warned that the New Zealand Government's plan to quarantine its planned FTTH network from independent regulatory oversight could put the country in breach of its international trade obligations.

The New Zealand Government will shortly launch a centralised Internet filtering system designed to block access only to child pornography. Participation by ISPs will be voluntary but the scheme is facing strong opposition from InternetNZ.