Find Telecommunication expertise in New Zealand

Experts consider New Zealand’s telecommunications and internet industry to be advancing towards a ‘dynamic’ and developed market following reforms in the early 2010s (Budde, 2013). The country has grown particularly fast in the fixed broadband market, and increased 4.6% between June and December 2012. This is most likely explained by the transition from dial-up to broadband services.

The incumbent telecom provider, Telecom New Zealand, split into two separate listed companiesin 2011, forming Chorus as a result. Chorus took over the fixed line network and telecommunications infrastructure, while Telecom NZ continued as a retail and commercial operator for mobile, fixed and internet services. Telecom New Zealand was one of the first telecommunications companies in the world to become fully privatised in 1990, and continues to perform well on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. Other main mobile providers include 2degrees and Vodafone.

There are approximately 50 internet service providers in the country, with the main brands being Orcon, Paradise, Slingshot and Telstra Clear as well major mobile companies which also offer fixed and mobile broadband services such as Vodafone.

The telecommunications sector is regulated by the Commerce Commission New Zealand, which regulates a selection of industries vital to New Zealand’s infrastructure, including electricity, gas, airports and the dairy industry.

Fibre development is taking over from what was previously a market dominated by mobile and wireless broadband services. The New Zealand Government has piloted both the ultrafast broadband initiative (UFB) and regional broadband initiatives in order to connect many schools and health services to fast internet, and these technologies should help benefit the country economically too. This process is aimed to take place over the next decade, leading the industry to compete with the best countries in the world in regard to telecommunications and internet provision.

ICT is the fastest developing sub-sector, growing about 10% per annum since 2002 (The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE, 2013)). It contributes approximately 5% of GDP according to a government ICT report released in July 2013, and employs 73,392 employees. This ranks in the top ten countries in the world for ICT workforce employment (2012 Global Innovation Index). The government plans to encourage better IT skilled graduates to join the fast growing industry which has increasing demand for more IT-specific employees. The Government ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017 proposes to move away from commodity-owned ICT assets in favour of supporting services-based digital technology to help save money and to improve the value of government information. ICT investment in schools results in projects including the Digital Opportunities initiatives (DigiOps), the Kaupapa ara Whakawhiti Mätauranga (KAWM) project and the Laptops For Teachers Scheme (TELA).

Telecoms and Internet Service Providers organisations in New Zealand
Telecom NZ Ltd
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