Kiwis keen to switch on to study

Thousands of people across the country have been applying to take part in an experiment to quantify the impact of broadband technology on modern life.

More than 7000 people have applied online to be one of 25 households selected for the four-month Connected Lives initiative run by internet provider Xtra and hardware supplier Hewlett-Packard.

The number of applications won't be known until all the written entries posted in Telecom stores have been collected following yesterday's deadline.

Rod Snodgrass, general manager of Telecom's wired division, said households would be selected to cover all national demographics, including families, young professionals, students, pensioners, rural and urban communities.

Participants will be given a $6000 digital technology package and be among the best connected households in the country.

Each month they will be given new technology and compete for prizes in weekly challenges designed to test their ability to use it.

Although the exact programme and technology is being kept under wraps, the four monthly themes of keeping in touch, mobility, endless entertainment and invent, provide a hint of what is to come.

To keep participants motivated, households that complete all the tasks get to keep their new toys.

A third-party research company will record participants' experiences and how the technology affects their lifestyle, behaviour and attitudes.

The public can follow progress via a website where they can watch video diaries, results of tasks and vote for their favourite "players".

Snodgrass said the experiment would help shape future technology and marketing.

"This is one of the ways we can find out about what the future products and services look like that will be meaningful to the customer and have a positive impact on their lives."

By documenting how technology was relevant to New Zealanders, research could help protect the Kiwi identity from the globalising effect of the internet.

" ... that does in some way, shape or form detract from your national identity. I guess it started with TV and the internet has accelerated it.

"The key for us to sustain ourselves as a nation is to have a national identity, even at a digital level."

This broadband life

Connected Lives study aims to discover relevance of digital technology to New Zealanders' lives.

25 participating households will be given $6000 of equipment to make them among the best-connected in the country.

The use participants make of the technology will be used to shape future products and marketing, and help protect the Kiwi identity from the internet's globalising effect.