Electric fences pinged for limiting rural internet

Electric-fence owners are to be targeted in a campaign designed to improve internet access in rural areas.

The ministerial inquiry into telecommunications last year found that the speed and reach of dial-up internet services in rural areas were being significantly limited by electric-fence interference.

Government officials have since worked with groups including Federated Farmers, the electric-fence industry and Telecom to identify problems and find practical solutions.

The working group found that many electric fences near telecommunications cables were not properly installed or maintained.

It plans over the next 18 months to prepare guidelines on suitable electric-fence design and operational standards near telecoms cables, mount a public awareness campaign on how to correctly install and maintain electric fences near cables, and promote guidelines on preferred modems, because some models were found to perform significantly better in a "noisy" electrical environment.