The Commerce Commission’s ruling that broadband speeds must be advertised as actual peak-time speeds rather than theoretical maximums is the right one but long overdue, says National’s Digital Economy and Communications spokesperson Melissa Lee.

“With the telecommunications industry being directed to develop a marketing code, consumers and businesses alike will have a better experience getting connected.

“There has been far too much confusion for too long for consumers when choosing a digital service provider. Consumers must be able to make informed choices about their connectivity needs.

“Far too many rural and fringe urban New Zealanders still face significant connectivity challenges. Covid  and recent natural disasters around our country have only exacerbated this. National believes the Government must do far more to urgently get all communities connected online. It is not good enough that communities from Dunollie to Dairy Flat continue to face connectivity challenges.

“Some communities are being told they have world-class speeds available only to find they can’t even load an email due to network congestion leaving them reliant on decades old copper lines.

“Thousands of New Zealand households and businesses are still facing network disruptions that affect their work, education and lives. It’s directly impacting on mental health and the Kiwi economy. We endorse calls from DairyNZ and TUANZ to deliver better connectivity and digital awareness for New Zealanders.

“National promised New Zealanders a massive uplift in communications spending, supporting an extra $1 billion of investment over 10 years into our telecommunications infrastructure.

“The Labour Government, however, is delivering a pittance.

“The future of New Zealand is digital. Every Kiwi family should have access to high-quality internet speeds no matter where they live.”