Commerce Commission inquiry could give Kiwis more choice and drive competition

There is finally hope that New Zealand consumers might get a wider choice of broadcast content through traditional and new media via high speed broadband following today’s announcement by the Commerce Commission, Labour’s communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran said today.

“Labour believes today’s Commerce Commission announcement that it will investigate potential barriers to end-user uptake of ultra-fast broadband could be the first important step in achieving a converged regulatory framework across New Zealand’s broadcasting and telecommunications industries,” Clare Curran said.

“The Commerce Commission has demonstrated it has the guts to take on the lack of competition in the broadcasting industry and how that will impact on New Zealanders having wide choices of content when they finally get ultrafast broadband.

“The converged digital era offers opportunities for new forms of digital content and access to new markets.

“Yet within broadcasting particularly there is a current Government policy vacuum around access to content as ultrafast broadband opens the gateway to internet television.

“Finally the Commerce Commission has decided to take some action on this. We think that is the logical and responsible thing to do.

“The question must be asked whether New Zealand consumers are being well served through the generation of local content and the means of distributing it to the public across a range of media platforms.

“The big test will be whether Minister Steven Joyce will listen to the review outcomes,” Clare Curran said.