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Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced the next stage of the Government’s plan to deliver significant improvements in telecommunications for the Chatham Islands.

As part of the Rural Broadband Initiative, the Government approved a grant to the Chatham Islands Council to help secure better broadband connections for its three schools, Kaingaroa, Pitt Island and Te One.

Today, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has issued a Request for Proposals as part of the next stage of the process.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has today released a proposal from New Zealand Post seeking to allow greater flexibility in the postal services it provides.

"During the last 10 years mail volumes have dropped considerably, with 265 million fewer items being posted each year compared to 2002. Within five years, mail volumes are forecast to be nearly half what they were in 2002," Ms Adams says.

New Zealand has rejected a push to bring the internet under stronger state control, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced.

New Zealand joined a number of other OECD states in declining to sign the revised International Telecommunications Regulations at the World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai.

The Regulations are a treaty-level text established through the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The Regulations set the rules for connecting telecommunications networks across the world.

The Government has today received the Commerce Commission's draft determination on pricing for the unbundled bitstream access (UBA) and a final determination on the unbundled copper local loop (UCLL), and will now take time to review these decisions.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams says the decisions on both prices, taken together, are potentially significant for the industry and end users.

“I have asked my officials to review the effects of the pricing and report back to me," Ms Adams says.

Good afternoon.

It's certainly a pleasure to be invited to speak here at the first NetHui South and I'd like to begin by acknowledging InternetNZ for organising this event, and for their on-going work in ensuring that key issues affecting the development of our digital future continue to be prominently and actively debated. 

It's definitely refreshing to see a gathering of this type in the South and focusing on rural and provincial New Zealand.

Ultra-Fast Broadband will be rolled out to more than 1500 businesses, health facilities, schools and homes in Whakatane during the next 18 months, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams says.

Chorus, one of the Government’s UFB partners, today began work to build a high-speed fibre broadband network in Whakatane.

UFB will pass more than 1500 premises by July 2014, and about 7000 premises in total by the end of the build period.

By July next year, eight schools will be covered by the network. They are:

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has today launched New Zealand’s first ever Telework Week, which will highlight the social, economic and environmental benefits of working from home.

Launched at Parliament, the event promotes employees using ICT to work away from their traditional place of employment, while monitoring the savings and productivity gains made in doing so.

After the week’s end, businesses should have a better understanding of the technological and workplace practices required to make teleworking a success.

More than 100,000 end users in urban areas are now able to connect to the Ultra-Fast Broadband network, only 16 months after the project started.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams today released the latest quarterly report on the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and Rural Broadband (RBI) programmes.

The report shows good progress continues to be made on a project that will ultimately transform New Zealand’s connectivity.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has today confirmed a deal has been reached for free non-standard residential connections to the ultra-fast broadband network.

The government and Crown Fibre Holdings have reached agreement with UFB partners Chorus, Enable and Northpower that provides for free residential connections for distances of up to 200 metres per house from the road, until at least the end of 2015.

MediaWorks' subsidiary RadioWorks has paid in full its deferred payments to the Crown for radio spectrum licences, nearly two years ahead of schedule, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams says.

The outstanding principal plus interest totalled $32.28 million and payment was completed last night.

The original principal sum owed by RadioWorks was $43.3 million plus GST. Two payments of $11.9 million, including GST, principal and interest, had previously been made.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams leaves today for a cyber policy conference in Budapest.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the release of Chorus’ year three deployment plan for the rollout of the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband programme.

Chorus today confirmed that work to deploy the UFB network in Feilding, Gisborne, Greymouth, Kapiti, Levin, Pukekohe, Upper Hutt and Waiuku will start between July 2013 and June 2014.

Queenstown’s reputation as a world-class tourist destination is about to be enhanced even further, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams says.

Ms Adams joined ultra-fast broadband (UFB) partner Chorus at an event in Queenstown this morning to mark the start of work to build a UFB network in the city.

“Rolling out UFB in Queenstown will meet a growing demand for connectivity by businesses, schools, health providers, residents and tourists,” Ms Adams says.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced that an event will be held to raise awareness about the benefits of businesses having staff work from home.

The inaugural Telework Week will run from 12-16 November to promote employees using ICT to work away from their traditional place of employment, while monitoring the savings and productivity gains made in doing so.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced that work will start on developing an industry regulation to improve the transparency of broadband product information for consumers.

Ms Adams has asked the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment to begin work on a regulation framework, which could include, among other things, enhanced disclosure requirements for matters such as the total cost of a service, broadband speed, data caps and contract lengths.

The New Zealand and Australian Governments have today released a draft report on a joint investigation into trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges.

The report was released by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams and her Australian counterpart, Senator Stephen Conroy, following a meeting between the Ministers in Canberra today.

The New Zealand and Australian Governments have today released a draft report on a joint investigation into trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges.

The report was released by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams and her Australian counterpart, Senator Stephen Conroy, following a meeting between the Ministers in Canberra today.

Telecommunications providers are being asked for their input on the best way to deliver significant improvement in telecommunications for the Chatham Islands.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams and Chatham Islands Mayor Alfred Preece today released details about the next stage of the process.

As part of the Rural Broadband Initiative, the Government approved a grant to the Chatham Islands Council to help secure better broadband connections for its three schools, Kaingaroa, Pitt Island and Te One.

More than 20,000 premises in Nelson and Richmond will be covered by the Government’s ultra-fast broadband network when the project is finished, Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has announced.

Ms Adams made the comments at an event in Nelson this morning with Chorus to mark the start of work to build the ultra-fast broadband (UFB) network in the region.

The first customers in Nelson and Richmond are expected to be able to connect to the UFB network by October.

The year one target for the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative has been exceeded by more than 6000 premises, with the fibre network now reaching more than 76,000 schools, businesses, hospitals and households.

Results released today by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams also show that under the first year of the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), more than 69,000 rural homes and businesses now have access to improved broadband.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has today announced the appointment of Dr Stephen Gale as the incoming Telecommunications Commissioner and member of the Commerce Commission.

An independent panel was convened to consider the 44 applications for the role, and recommended the appointment of Dr Gale.

“The Telecommunications Commissioner’s role remains a vital one to the success of the industry and it was important we found the best candidate,” Ms Adams says.

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to be here with you to officially launch New Zealand’s first Cyber Security Awareness Week.

The week is designed to raise awareness among New Zealanders and small businesses, particularly, of cyber security risks, and the simple steps they can take to protect their personal, financial and business information online.

The internet and e-commerce has become fundamental to the pursuit of commercial, personal, and governmental business.

New Zealand’s first ever Cyber Security Awareness Week has been launched this morning by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams.

The week is designed to raise awareness among New Zealanders and small businesses of cyber security risks, and the simple steps they can take to protect their personal, financial and business information online.

Budget 2012 continues the Government’s commitment to making New Zealand schools among the most connected in the world, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams say.

The Government is providing $8 million in 2012/13 to help schools connect to the ultra-fast broadband (UFB) network.

Hundreds of schools will have access to government funding to cover the costs of the fibre connection from the school boundary into the school.