13 October 2005
ihug Welcomes Better Broadband for Consumers
ihug has welcomed yesterday's interim ruling by the Commerce Commission, saying it will allow New Zealanders to enjoy
faster broadband speeds at more affordable prices.
Chief executive Mark Rushworth says this is a significant step forward for the industry.
"At the moment consumers aren't experiencing true broadband but when the new regulation is implemented we'll be able to
offer much higher speeds, bringing our broadband offerings closer with the rest of the world.
"ihug is prepared to invest in new technology but without regulation our hands are tied in terms of offering customers
true broadband at great prices," he says.
However, Rushworth says ihug is concerned that customers using the regulated broadband service requested by TelstraClear
will get speeds slower than dial up during busy times. They are also disappointed that the 128kbps uplink speed hasn't
been increased.
He says they plan to work closely with the Commerce Commission and Telecom to ensure these issues are addressed so that
consumers can take full advantage of their broadband service.
"In Australia customers of our parent company iiNet can already enjoy speeds of up to 12,000 kbps for downloads and up
to 1,000kpbs for uploads - we can't wait to be able to do that here," he says.
ENDS