Broadband

Telstraclear says a new high-speed broadband network will be available to Dunedin businesses by December.

New Zealand broadband is improving, according to a new report.

A war of words has broken out over the Dunedin City Council's plan for a new multimillion-dollar fibre broadband network to be owned by the community.

Vodafone has moved into the broadband wholesale market in a deal with internet service provider and phone company Slingshot.

Clutha's economic watchdog will tomorrow consider its approach to lobbying the Government to invest in installing high-speed Internet into rural regions - even though there are no guarantees money will be there after the election.

The nation's farmers desperately need access to broadband internet links, and they need it more than many "townies" says Federated Farmers.

National's ambitious billion dollar-plus plan to bring faster Internet access to three-quarters of New Zealand homes and companies has been hailed by business and Internet groups but tagged extravagant and opportunistic by the Government.

United Future leader Peter Dunne says Labour, Act New Zealand and New Zealand First should stop attacking National's broadband plan and start coming up with their own answers.

New Zealand broadband users are right up with the most internet-addicted nations in the world, spending on average 22 hours per week online, according to a new survey.

Broadband customers are being urged to make a change of provider if they are unhappy.

Despite a plea by Telecom chief executive Paul Reynolds to take broadband off the election agenda, it looks likely to remain a contentious topic. Business Editor Dene Mackenzie reports.

Some Wanaka residents are facing a wait of more than six months to get connected to broadband Internet by national service provider Telecom, with the telecommunications company blaming "unforeseen" seasonal spikes.

New Zealand's provision and use of broadband needs improvement to realise the full potential of the Internet, the NetSafe cyber safety conference in Queenstown heard this week.

The rising numbers of broadband fast internet users is encouraging, although large numbers of New Zealanders still rely on "last century" dial-up internet, says InternetNZ.

About 110 Macandrew Bay residents are the first in Otago to get a chance of having faster broadband access after the first of 67 new roadside cabinets for the region was switched on yesterday.

The Dunedin City Council is vowing to press ahead with an ambitious community-owned fibre broadband network, regardless of government support, and is backed by irate city businesses.

State highways in the South Island would be all but ignored under the National Party, but a broadband system would instead bridge the "tyranny of distance" for cities such as Dunedin, National Party MP Maurice Williamson said yesterday.

Telecom says it is installing the most advanced standard of super-fast internet broadband, which will offer world class services.

A $340 million Broadband Investment Fund (BIF) established by the Labour government has been axed, the Government announced today.