Rural Women New Zealand’s voice heard in rural broadband plans

Rural Women New Zealand is applauding the shift in emphasis in the Government’s rural broadband plans announced yesterday, by delivering broadband services to all rural households.

“The concerns we expressed in our White Paper Rural Broadband – a Universal Service Proposal have been heard,” says RWNZ telecommunications spokesperson, Jacky Stafford.

“As we said in that document, the $300 million rural broadband funding is a precious resource and should be used to the maximum benefit possible for all rural citizens.

“To be successful rural broadband services must also be at city prices. As our White Paper showed, higher prices are a serious barrier to uptake.”

However Rural Women New Zealand would like to see the rollout completed more quickly, so that rural households and businesses can access the social and economic benefits that broadband brings. Rural New Zealanders lag far behind their urban cousins both in terms of mobile and broadband telecommunications. In other comparable countries governments have already moved to level the playing field and provide universal broadband.

For more information see:
Rural Broadband – A Universal Service Proposal - RWNZ White Paper (January 2010)
http://www.ruralwomen.org.nz/documents/TheRuralBroadbandGap-RWNZWhitePaper_000.pdf

ENDS

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