Rob Hart A MIX of innovative technologies, including next generation wireless platforms, are required to connect the majority of New Zealanders to high-speed broadband, Qualcomm Australia country manager Rob Hart says.
"Given New Zealand's dispersed geography, demography and population, we believe there is no single technology solution that can be implemented to provide ultra-fast broadband services at a retail level."
Speaking from Auckland, Mr Hart, who is on a speaking tour in New Zealand, said he had read a lot of discussion about the Government's introduction of fibre-optics, but most of it had been around the fibre-to-the-home proposal.
No-one appeared to be looking beyond that.
"We think the fibre roll-out is great but we are very keen to get the best benefit derived from it.
"The rapidly changing mobile environment was an example of why the Government should look at wider options, he said.
There was an explosion of mobile applications in the market in health care, education, business, social networks and entertainment.
There was also rapid growth in the range of devices on the market, and not just phones.
Devices such as e-readers, which allowed users to download and read electronic books, were becoming popular around the world.
The e-readers used mobile technology but were not a phone, Mr Hart said.
There were also smart books, which looked like a net book but were smaller, right through to fixed wireless broadband PCs.
One of the latest innovations was a "smart plaster" which had a sensor embedded in it and could monitor things like blood-sugar levels and heart rates.
The cost was about $US5 and the plaster lasted a week.
The information was transmitted by wireless to a medical centre or hospital.
"All of these things are going on in the background. In the next two years, data rates will improve markedly and content cost will go down.
"So how do we get more data out there?"
The answer appeared to be in extending the wireless network, he said.
By providing a mobile network solution, all companies could share the network and the cost.
While fibre was aimed at 75% of all New Zealand homes, wireless could take it to the last 25%.
Asked whether New Zealanders knew enough about wireless technology, Mr Hart believed they did because of the more than 100% penetration of mobile phones in the market.
What held back the use of wireless was the cost and speed of data.
Once data speed got to a point of being useful, people would start accepting and using wireless technology.
Qualcomm was a CDMA (code division multiple access) wireless company.
