Broadband as a human right

About 130,000 households still don't have internet access. That needs to change.

- PETER GRIFFIN

t was a throwaway comment from a minister on the election trail, but one that should serve as a challenge to our broadband providers, regardless of who wins the election.

"I'm really keen to have a conversation after the election - if I'm lucky enough to still be here - with industry to say, if the Government is prepared to put X amount of dollars into a bucket, I'd be keen to see some of those providers meet that," Ginny Andersen told the Tech Users Summit in Auckland last month.

The Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications had been asked what the government was doing to address lingering digital equity issues that mean about 130,000 households are without internet access. Her impromptu suggestion was a public-private partnership to address broadband access issues.