High speed internet access

Broadband and economic development | Key work streams

Broadband and economic development

Economic development in any city depends upon access to fast, high capacity broadband infrastructure and services. Due to the lack of high-speed broadband, Auckland is losing economic opportunities.

Auckland City Council has taken a proactive role advocating and actively working with industry with the aim of all residents and businesses having access to affordable broadband. In our role as a catalyst for market solutions, the we have facilitated through a public private partnership the delivery of a Wi-Fi service in the CBD and fringe, and we are working with the private sector, region and central government on broadband provision across the isthmus and beyond.

Our vision is that by 2010:

• Auckland city is an acknowledged smart city where all residents and businesses have access to affordable high speed broadband and an understanding of the benefits that this will provide
• businesses in Auckland city have access to gigabit ethernet services.

Our approach is to:

• primarily focus on advocacy and facilitation
• assist the industry to undertake initiatives or, where appropriate, partner with industry on particular initiatives
• ensure economic benefits are realisable through broadband deployment by facilitating end-to-end capability encompassing network provision, service, products and usage.

Updated January 2009