Taking a Punt on Broadband: Regional Initiatives in New Zealand

This paper will discuss recent initiatives to encourage the development of broadband networks in New Zealand. It is widely believed that the availability of good quality broadband will lead to improved economic development at the regional level. This paper considers the role played by both national and regional government in improving access to broadband. At a national level the government has developed a Digital Strategy, and has funded a project to make broadband available in rural regions of New Zealand. At the regional level, local government has also been active in setting up broadband networks for their communities. Two contrasting regions of New Zealand have been selected as case studies: one is a remote rural region; the other is on the periphery of a large city. The paper will assess these two cases and identify factors that contribute to successful community broadband developments in regional areas. The contribution that broadband has made to economic and social development in these two regions will also be discussed.