KEY POINTS:
Businesses can now put their hands up for high-speed broadband services via an online broadband map.
Launched by the State Services Commission at the Digital Summit, the National Broadband Map aims to link demand for broadband with companies interested in laying fibre-optic networks.
Laurence Millar, the State Services Commission's deputy commissioner information and communication technologies, said that with all the discussion around low broadband speeds and availability, the map provided a place for people to add details of their current broadband service and what they would need in the future.
"Rather than standing 'round at your barbecues and bitching about it, do something. Tell the telcos what it is you want," said Millar.
The map, which is still in a beta version, currently shows the availability of fibre-optic cables and fibre-based, high-speed broadband service areas run by TelstraClear and Telecom, as well as regional and education sector networks.
Around 10,000 organisations, including schools, police stations, hospitals, libraries and GPs, have already added information to the map.
Now business and residential customers are being encouraged to add information to the website.
Business information will appear as data points on the map, but household data will be summarised at a local level. All information provided will be available to fibre network operators to assist with future network planning and to encourage competition in areas of existing service.
"It's a web 2.0 collective approach to informing the future investment decisions for the country," said Millar.
John O'Donoghue, of Hamilton network provider Velocity, said businesses showing their interest in high-speed broadband could make a difference to a network provider investing in an area. He said extending a fibre network to an area with a lot of schools could become a viable proposition if Velocity knew there were businesses and Government agencies also interested in high-speed broadband.
