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The Ultra-Fast Broadband build on Auckland’s Waiheke Island is now complete, meaning more than 5600 local homes and businesses can now connect to faster and more reliable internet, says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

On hand at Waiheke Island today, Ms Adams said total private and public investment in the build totalled nearly $9.6 million, and took less than 18 months to complete after the rollout began in June 2015.

Communications Minister Amy Adams is seeking applications from dispute resolution providers to help speed up agreements between property owners with joint access to install and maintain next generation telecommunications networks.

A dispute resolution scheme is part of the Government’s Land Access reform package which will help speed up delays in situations where the consent of multiple parties is required for access to shared property, enabling a smoother installation process for all involved.

Changes to the National Environmental Standard (NES) for Telecommunications Facilities will make it quicker and easier for New Zealanders to get connected to new and better communications technologies.

Communications Minister Amy Adams and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced the new NES for Telecommunications Facilities, under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Communications Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the start of the Hawaiki cable’s build at Mangawhai Heads today.

The 14,000km cable will link Mangawhai, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia to mainland USA, and become Australasia’s fastest international cable. The Government entered into a $65 million anchor tenancy contract through REANNZ to the project.

“New Zealand’s demand for data is ever-increasing, and international connectivity is critical for our economy – particularly due to our geographical isolation,” says Ms Adams.

Communications Minister Amy Adams says the number of premises connected to Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) has now surpassed 300,000 New Zealanders.

Ms Adams has today released the quarterly broadband update to September 2016, which highlights that nearly 50,000 connections were made last quarter.

At the end of September, 288,700 premises were connected out of a possible one million, and this increased to 300,000 by mid-October.

“Uptake nationwide has increased to 28.3 per cent,” says Ms Adams.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today thanked telecommunications companies and their field force partners for their collaborative efforts in restoring physical infrastructure to areas badly affected by last week’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and returning service close to pre-quake levels.

“New Zealanders will appreciate how important communications are at a time like this as we need to know who to get to, what they need, and how to best prioritise emergency team responses,” says Ms Adams.

A new technical advisory group is being created to advise the Ministry of Primary Industries on how to accelerate the use of smart agriculture technology, Ministers Amy Adams and Nathan Guy have announced today.

“Technology has major potential to support higher productivity and more sustainable use of natural resources in farming,” says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today announced the establishment of a Cyber Security Skills Taskforce to address the shortage of cyber professionals in New Zealand.

The Taskforce will focus on practical actions to increase the number of cyber professionals the industry needs to help defend against cyber-attacks, which cost the New Zealand economy $257 million last year.

Communications Minister Amy Adams has today welcomed the Commerce Select Committee’s decision to seek public submissions on the benefits of rolling out fibre on rural electricity infrastructure, albeit on a shortened timeframe.

New Zealand and Australia are working together on practical initiatives to boost trans-Tasman cyber security, Communications Minister Amy Adams says.

Ms Adams recently returned from Australia, where she met with her counterpart, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security, Dan Tehan.

Improved broadband and mobile services for rural New Zealand will grow regional economies and boost tourism in key destinations, Communications Minister Amy Adams says.

A Request for Proposals has been issued to extend the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) and provide mobile coverage to black spots on state highways and in tourist areas.

An area the size of 450,000 rugby fields has been added to the country’s cell network in just two years, says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

Thirty-four new cell towers have expanded coverage by an extra 3825 square kilometres to rural areas previously without coverage.

The new towers are a result of requirements set in the auction of the 700 MHz band of radio spectrum, won by Spark and Vodafone in 2014. Under the auction agreement Spark and Vodafone were required to build new towers in new rural areas in the first five years after the purchase.

Communications Minister Amy Adams confirmed today that the Government has delivered on its commitment to make connecting to the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network free for virtually every household.

Only 17 per cent of New Zealanders say they have received training or advice about cyber security at work despite New Zealanders grappling with cyber security issues, says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

“New research conducted by Colmar Brunton found that 20 per cent of New Zealanders have been affected by cybercrime in the last year, and this figure rises to 72 per cent when spam and suspicious emails are included,” says Ms Adams.

Communications Minister Amy Adams says VHF radio channels changes which take place this weekend will ensure New Zealand’s maritime radio services are in line with the rest of the world.  

“The changes come into effect today (1 October) and will allow us to expand ship tracking and data services. These services are part of our international obligations for radio spectrum management,” says Ms Adams.

The changes have been well signalled across the maritime community over the past two months in the lead up to today's changes.

The Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout in Whakatane has finished, bringing the number of fully-fibred towns and cities to twenty, Communications Minister Amy Adams has announced.

Nearly 7000 homes and businesses in Whakatane can now connect to UFB and around 19 per cent of those had taken up a service. All eight Whakatane schools have been connected and have joined the Network for Learning.

Total investment between the Government and Chorus in Whakatane is nearly $12 million. The build began in Whakatane in November 2012.

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Communications Minister Amy Adams have today officially opened a technology hub to support new and emerging businesses in Westport.

Enterprise Precinct Innovation Campus (EPIC) Westport, a branch of EPIC Christchurch, provides co-working spaces for local companies looking to be innovative and develop local capacity in digital technology.

“Co-working spaces foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing, start-up businesses are typically the generators of new ideas, products and services,” Mr Joyce says.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Communications Minister Amy Adams today launched a new guide to attract more investment in New Zealand’s fast growing technology sector.

The Investor Guide to the New Zealand Technology Sector has been brought to life by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Technology Investment Network (TIN). It provides investors with the most recent data and insights to encourage them to make informed investments in New Zealand’s thriving technology sector.

Confidence in the future of UFB has resulted in an early buyout of Ultrafast Fibre from the Government, Communications Minister Amy Adams has announced.

“Waikato Networks Limited has been a great partner, completing its build in eight central North Island towns and cities six months ahead of schedule. With this work complete, the Crown no longer needs to hold its investment in the network and Waikato Networks Limited wants to take over full ownership early,” says Ms Adams.

On 26 August 1866, New Zealand’s telecommunications took a leap into the future with the successful connection of the Cook Strait Telegraph Cable, says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

“It was a momentous achievement for its time. The successful connection came on the third attempt at laying the cable, and followed a near disaster when the first cable snapped - almost destroying the ship Weymouth in the process,” says Ms Adams.

A highly skilled group of people from the private sector have been named as the CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) Establishment Advisory Board by Communications Minister Amy Adams.

The Board will provide advice to the Minister for Communications and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on the establishment of the national CERT.

“The national CERT will sit at the centre of New Zealand’s cyber security response. It will be the first point of call for all cyber security incidents,” says Ms Adams.

Broadcasting Minister Amy Adams has today announced the Government’s plans to update the Broadcasting Act to better reflect today’s converged market. 

“The media sector is in a period of great change. New Zealanders are consuming content in completely different ways to even a few years ago,” says Ms Adams.

The Government’s Convergence Work Programme is making excellent progress towards ensuring New Zealand is well-placed to take advantage of an increasingly digital media environment, says Broadcasting and Communications Minister Amy Adams.

“Today’s converged media landscape is changing the way we communicate, conduct business and access entertainment channels. Streaming content on-demand through our mobile devices or obtaining news on the web is now the new norm,” says Ms Adams.

The news that three Local Fibre Companies will be offering a 1 Gigabit product for residential on the Ultra-Fast Broadband network has been welcomed by Communications Minister Amy Adams.

Local Fibre Companies Enable, Northpower Fibre and Ultrafast Fibre advised today the release of the new Residential Only BS2a 1G/500Mbps service from 1 October.