The big three advise Government spending on rural broadband

Common sense prevails - a phrase you wouldn't necessarily attribute to our top three telecommunication companies, following the release of a combined report on the proposed $1.5 billion Government spend-up on improving broadband services.

Public policy advisers Castalia, working for Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra Clear reckon the telecommunication companies long term network investment is sufficient for most New Zealanders' and any Government money might be a waste.

However, for those of you long suffering rural surfers who either a) wait ten minutes to load a web page and give up or b) pay a small fortune on a satellite connection, there is good news.

The report states there is proven value in spending money in rural areas, schools and hospitals where the current market is not delivering, and let's face it, will never deliver.

So while the debate rages about whether the Government should invest in broadband for all, or keep some of the money for other projects, our rural sector can rejoice.

It looks as though, at long last we may be about to see the first technological investment in our communication systems since the days when party lines became push button phones and conversations became private!