A NZ man who lost a ring 40 years ago in a US lake has had news that his treasured possession has been found.

Who knew New Zealand had a space programme? In truth, with the exception of Auckland company Rocket Lab's launch of a rocket 100km into the sky last November, we can't claim to have tried visiting the inky void.

When Brian Mackie brought his translation service from Britain to New Zealand in 2003, fast internet access was essential and shouldn't have been a problem.

As Crown Fibre Holdings weighs up 14 short-listed bids for a share of the ultra-fast broadband (UFB) network, it said yesterday it was ready to negotiate with contenders in three regions.

Broadband, as hundreds of thousands of New Zealand users already know, provides fast access to the internet and email.

Will ultra-fast broadband be a game-changer or a costly toy? Anthony Doesburg found five companies already showing what better internet connections can mean.

Telecom shares fell 6 per cent after it missed out on being named for priority talks in the Government's $1.5b ultra-fast broadband plan.

Crown Fibre Holdings has prioritised three regional deals in its short list for the government funded roll-out of an ultra-fast broadband network.

The battle to win $1.8b of government money now features in TV advertisements - although I imagine many watching them will be left scratching their heads.

As Apple reassures US iPad customers that it can fill demand, Orcon has become the first telco in New Zealand to sell the device.