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The pace of internet broadband uptake is too slow for New Zealand to break into the top quarter of the OECD, say telecommunications advocates.
New Zealand ranked 20 out of 30 OECD countries for broadband uptake at the end of June - up one place on six months earlier.
The country had 683,500 subscribers, up 5 per cent. Some 16.5 per cent of the population has broadband. The OECD average is 18.8 per cent. Two years ago the Government set itself the goal of being in the top half of the OECD for broadband by 2007 and the top quarter by 2010.
Telecommunications Users Association head Ernie Newman said there was no way the country would hit the target at the current rate. "The fact that Telecom is reopening its wallet is a good sign, but even that alone is not going to take us anywhere near the Government's objective," he said.
"The ball is very much in Minister [David] Cunliffe's court now on the policy front."
Communications Minister David Cunliffe said he was pleased New Zealand was catching up in broadband ratings. He was determined to continue this progress.
At US$16.75 per megabit, New Zealand broadband prices are US$1.25 cheaper than the OECD average and US34 cents less expensive than the OECD average of US$49 when comparing monthly subscriptions.
