Farmers welcome Telecoms plan for broadband

Federated Farmers has welcomed Telecom’s fibre to the premise proposal designed to meet the Government’s $1.5 billion broadband investment initiative. Telecom’s plan will provide what the Federation has sought - fibre infrastructure deep into the rural hinterland.

“Federated Farmers is impressed with Telecom’s submission and timeline,” says Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers telecommunications spokesperson.

“By delivering fibre infrastructure to every rural school within three years, Telecom has identified and resolved what rural New Zealand now needs - high speed nodes for rural New Zealand to access.

“This achieves vital geographic coverage for rural New Zealand to leverage off. This meets a key concern the Federation expressed when detail of the broadband investment initiative was first announced.

“These high speed nodes will enable community-scale solutions to emerge. This could be broadband delivered to farms and homes by way of point to point fibre, fibre to wireless radio or fibre to 3G networks.

“Farmers never expected fibre optic cable to every woolshed in every part of the country, just the infrastructure that will allow connection to ultra fast broadband. Telecom’s proposal will deliver vital wide geographic coverage.

“Telecom’s plan brings fibre to rural New Zealand and the rest will be up to rural folk. That doesn’t faze us, as it provides an even playing field with urban New Zealand.

“The relatively modest $48 million rural broadband fund could never meet the needs of a quarter of all New Zealanders. What Telecom has proposed, could.

“When people attend the National Fieldays they are astounded by the inventiveness rural New Zealand displays. Farmers are innovative adopters of technology and that’s why Federated Farmers wants rural New Zealand to have ultra fast broadband.

“Farming is key to New Zealand’s economic future. Broadband is increasingly key to farming.

“Rural New Zealand has inspired some of New Zealand’s greatest inventors such as Joseph Nathan (Glaxo SmithKlein founder), Colin Murdoch (the disposable syringe/tranquillizer gun), Bill Gallagher (the electric fence), Richard Pearse (aviation) and Sir Bill Hamilton (the jet boat).

“Just imagine what farmers could do with ultra fast broadband. It will give rural folk the ability to collaborate on things we can only imagine today and that’s why Telecom’s solution is a viable step forward,” Mr Aubrey concluded.