Simon Power: Internet revolution will change our lives

Ssnail's-paced internet speeds have been a way of life in Rangitikei. That's why it's great to hear the announcement of the Government's contract with Telecom, to roll out ultra-fast broadband to the vast majority of the country, including to Feilding, over the next five years.
The contract is part of the Government's $1.5 billion Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative, which complements the previously announced Rural Broadband Initiative.
As part of the deal, Telecom will split off its network arm Chorus into a completely separate company, so that all broadband retailers can compete fairly to sell ultra-fast broadband. The deal should ensure customers receive competitive internet services, with residential wholesale prices starting from less than $40 per month. There will also be no connection charges for households.
The initiative will provide residents with internet speeds of up to 100 megabits per second - that's up to 10 times faster than current broadband speeds, and light years ahead of dial-up.
In Feilding, the initial priority will be on linking 10 schools, 30 healthcare providers and 300 businesses with the rest of New Zealand - and the world.
A particular focus for the Government is on rolling out high-speed internet to schools, which will see our children benefit from being able to share scarce resources such as physics and IT teachers, as well as being able to see high-definition documentaries and access international collections of educational resources.
High-speed internet will allow farmers to access online accounting, farm management and banking tools, as well as third-generation mobile services.
And for health patients, it will introduce a new era of healthcare, with providers being able to send x-rays in seconds rather than days via courier. It will also allow rural residents to engage with specialists remotely, either from home or from a doctor's clinic.
Rural New Zealanders, including people living and working in the Rangitikei, have had to wait far too long to be able to access a decent internet connection. I am delighted that work is progressing to finally end that wait.