TUANZ - Telecomunications Users Association Of New Zealand

TUANZ - Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand

Search website

Home > Blogs > Downstream

Posted Sat 6 March 2010 @ 6:56 p.m. by Ernie

Usually you're safe from a Bird on a Wire unless you're directly underneath, but Theresa Gattung seems to be endangering everyone within a 360 degree trajectory.Media this weekend have reviewed various chapters. Its frustrating to see the book unveiled chapter by chapter but I guess its a part of the marketing mix - I'm told that media are expected to pay for the right to review a chapter. So maybe we're seeing the more sensational material in advance.According to the Herald she's slated the...

Comments (0)

"Ed Talks" event will interest those with a stake in ICT in education

Posted Sun 28 February 2010 @ 11:29 p.m. by Ernie

We seldom publicise other organisations' events on here, but this one in the education field is worth making an exception.Coming up on March 26th at Te Papa is a one-day "EDtalks Symposium - Leading Minds, Creating Futures". This symposium features sixteen 20 minute presentations focusing on "current trends in learning enabled through the smart use of technologies, and the related interface between education and business". The line up of presenters is impressive, drawing on the university...

Categories: Broadband | Education | Events

Comments (0)

Revolutionising NZ education with fibre

Posted Thu 25 February 2010 @ 12:35 p.m. by Ernie

I’m having two interesting days here in Rotorua at Core Education’s annual http://www.core-ed.net/learningatschool. It’s a big event – 1300 participants including teachers, principals, education administrators, and ever-hopeful equipment vendors. ’m here exploring where TUANZ can best put our energies in this sector. We’ve achieved our goal of a national plan to roll out ultra fast connectivity with government money in support – there are a lot of bridges still to cross but there are good people...

Comments (1)

Posted Fri 18 December 2009 @ 9:56 p.m. by Ernie

I'm not about to heap praise on anyone, regardless of political persuasion, for the progress announced this week over Section 92a. The cross-party support last year for an undemocratic and unworkable piece of legislation showed the whole of parliament in a poor light. About the only politician to emerge with a shred of credit was Maurice Williamson who, with the characteristic candour that has got him into so much trouble over the years, had the good grace to admit after the event that he didn’t...

Comments (1)

Answer this Victoria University survey and be into win $200.

Posted Sun 13 December 2009 @ 8:58 p.m. by Ernie

TUANZ is supporting a Victoria University of Wellington (TUANZ member) research project on the use of mobile information systems in the workplace. If you are use a mobile with data capability (e.g. mobile e-mail, mobile Internet, mobile business applications etc) for work purposes, we invite you to complete a survey questionnaire. It should take you approximately 12 minutes to complete the survey, which is anonymous and will be available until the 25th of December 2009. (12 minutes...

Categories: Broadband | Education | Wireless carriers

Comments (0)

Rural Broadband Symposium - proceedings now available

Posted Sun 13 December 2009 @ 7:21 p.m. by Ernie

A comprehensive summary of the TUANZ Rural Broadband Symposium in association with Alcatel Lucent, written by Louis van Wyk, is now available on the "User News" section of this site. No password required.It was a ground-breaking event which will reverberate for many years. I'm looking forward to getting together with Federated Farmers in the new year to decide a next step.

Comments (0)

A week of European conferences approaches

Posted Fri 4 December 2009 @ 3:14 p.m. by Ernie

I’m en route to Brussels and Paris for a week of industry conferences The first is the annual regulatory conference of ECTA, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association. It’s regarded as the best annual event globally on telecommunications regulation and always attracts several Kiwis, but I’ve never made it there before. Though I know several of the key people including Isla Godlovitch who TUANZ brought to Wellington three years back as keynote speaker for the TUANZ Telecommunications...

Comments (0)

Paul Budde has it wrong!

Posted Thu 3 December 2009 @ 11:19 a.m. by Ernie

I usually look forward to Paul Budde's annual foray into NZ. But his scathing criticism of the government's Ultra Fast Broadband plans during his Roundtable this week and in subsequent media comments have left me, and TUANZ Chairman Chris O'Connell who attended in Wellington, perplexed and disappointed.Rob O'Neill has summarised Budde's views in today's Computerworld. The criticism of Minister Joyce and the Ultra Fast Broadband process is extravagant - "totally ridiculous" and "asking...

Comments (9)

Rural broadband symposium - Reflections on Day 1

Posted Fri 13 November 2009 @ 9:38 a.m. by Ernie

Yesterday was the first day of the Rural Broadband Symposium that TUANZ is running alongside Federated Farmers. It was a very stimulating day with some excellent speakers and a real buzz of anticipation around the prospect of a connected rural hinterland. Louis is preparing a comprehensive summary report. Meanwhile here were my three take-away recurring themes from the first day: Theme 1 – the Government’s Rural Broadband Plan • the concept is right• ...

Comments (0)

ComCom monitoring shows a stellar year for competition

Posted Fri 13 November 2009 @ 9:06 a.m. by Ernie

The Commerce Commission is producing really high quality market monitoring reports these days, based in part on the regular OECD benchmarks but adjusting for specific New Zealand characteristics. The Monitoring report it released yesterday is very heartening from a user perspective. While we’re still a long way from the TUANZ vision of “Top Ten in the OECD for Communications Technology” we’re moving fast in the right direction. Please scan the whole report. Here’s some of what you’ll...

Comments (0)

Does Education Need a Rocket?

Posted Wed 4 November 2009 @ 1:05 p.m. by Ernie

“There’s a danger that New Zealand schools could become islands of pencil and paper in a digital world.” It was an unscripted throwaway line in the midst of a presentation by the Ministry of Economic Development’s Brad Ward. He was speaking to the Korea Australia New Zealand Broadband Summit here in Auckland this morning. And in my opinion he’s right on the money! Brad, along with colleague Nick Manning, gave an informative and professional overview of New Zealand’s plans for ultra fast broadband....

Comments (8)

Better broadband to break down distance learning barriers

Posted Tue 27 October 2009 @ 1:31 p.m. by Louis

TUANZ has long advocated the benefits better broadband can achieve in the delivery of education in New Zealand, but an article in the latest Education Gazette gives a good overview from educators themselves on how improved connectivity can boost distance learning. The article states that ultra-fast broadband would increase speed and capacity to schools’ internet connections and could increase the potential to personalise learning. It quotes Trevor Storr, e-principal of the Aorakinet e-learning...

Categories: Education | Innovation | TUANZ policy

Comments (0)

Cell phone ban looming – essential reading for motorists

Posted Tue 27 October 2009 @ 12:09 p.m. by Louis

The New Zealand Police has outlined how it will enforce the new road rules that come into force this Sunday, November 1, that will ban the use of a handheld mobile phone while driving. In this article on the New Zealand Herald website, a police spokesperson says that while frontline officers will be allowed to use their judgement during an initial “bedding in” period, dangerous texting will not be tolerated. While it is good to see the Police will not go easy on the extremely dangerous, and incredibly...

Categories: Education | Events | Regulatory | TUANZ policy

Comments (0)

In support of E-day

Posted Mon 26 October 2009 @ 7:05 p.m. by Ernie

The 2020 Trust - the people who among other good works run the annual e-day collection of electronic waste - are an energetic, driven and absolutely ethical bunch who have been in the business a fair number of years. I know several of them well - Laurence Zwimpfer, Earl Mardle, and Don Hollander to name but three.They will be absolutely mortified at this story that broke today casting doubt on how the waste from this year's E-day - just 6 weeks ago - was disposed of.If it proves that the Trust...

Categories: Education | Events | Vendors

Comments (1)

Posted Wed 21 October 2009 @ 8:54 a.m. by Ernie

INTUG, the International Telecommunications Users Group,has alerted members this morning to the latest development in the attempts by the EC to develop a regulatory framework on illegal downloading of copyright material. (TUANZ's latest pronouncement on this is here.)Nick White, Executive VP of INTUG, says:"Agreement on the European Regulatory Framework review has been held up because of disagreement between the Council and Parliament. "Following an expected rejection of the second reading next...

Categories: Education | Fixed line carriers | Innovation | ISPs | TUANZ policy

Comments (1)

Reflections on a Trans Sectoral Life

Posted Wed 16 September 2009 @ 12:05 a.m. by Ernie

I’ve been looking forward to this week. I’m in Sydney tonight ready for Paul Budde’s “Trans Sector Round Table” tomorrow. (Memo to self – if talking about this in the pub tonight, enunciate clearly.) Paul has been spending a huge amount of resource educating the Aussie government, as well as the Obama administration in the USA, on how broadband can be used to improve society, the economy, and people’s lives. He’s coined the term “Trans Sector” to describe the business model that will make next...

Comments (0)

Brash and Broadband; Productivity and Parsimony

Posted Fri 11 September 2009 @ 8:42 p.m. by Ernie

Today I spent an interesting 40 minutes with Dr Don Brash who is leading the government's Productivity Task Force. Its goal is to increase productivity and close the income gap with Australia by 2025.(Piece of cake, I hear you say! Yeah, right!)My interest in the topic is broadband-related. Our Board and members are passionate about the potential for ultra-fast connectivity to transform New Zealand's productivity performance. We've been working on that, with sleeves rolled up, since 2002.I invited...

Comments (5)

Boost for rural broadband

Posted Thu 10 September 2009 @ 2:10 p.m. by Louis

Within the next six years, 93% of rural schools with have access to fibre fuelled broadband speeds of at least 100Mbps, while the remaining 7% will get speeds of at least 10Mbps. At the same time, over 80% of rural households will have access to broadband with speeds of at least 5Mbps, with the remainder getting speeds of at least 1Mbps. These are the targets of a far better funded rural broadband strategy announced today by Communications and IT Minister Steven Joyce, which he says will get fast...

Categories: Education | Events | Innovation | Regulatory | TUANZ policy

Comments (4)

David Farrar on Parents Inc and Youthline mobile termination statements

Posted Sat 5 September 2009 @ 3:35 a.m. by Ernie

Tom Pullar Strecker has questioned the rather odd entry of Parents Inc and Youthline into the MTR debate, and David Farrar has added further comment on Kiwiblog.Not much more to say!I'll post a report on the MTR conference for TUANZ members over the coming weekend.

Categories: Education | Regulatory | TUANZ policy | Wireless carriers

Comments (6)

Chorus takes a hit to look after customers

Posted Mon 31 August 2009 @ 2:01 p.m. by Ernie

As industrial action continues, Chorus has moved to do the right thing by customers. It announced this afternoon that Visionstream will start its field operations three weeks early in two areas where customer service was starting to be impacted - Waitakere and North Shore City. Visionstream will start managing North Shore operations on September 7 and Waitakere on September 14. I guess this means for a period Chorus are paying twice over for the same work. If so, its a good sign of commitment...

Categories: Education | Fixed line carriers | ISPs | Vendors

Comments (0)

Key ups the budget for rural broadband

Posted Sun 23 August 2009 @ 10:19 a.m. by Ernie

John Key's announcement that the government is to spend hundreds of millions of dollars more than the palty $48 million originally earmarked for rural broadband has to be the very best telecommunications news for some time.Speaking on the Country Channel, Key described rural broadband as "a commercial must for agriculture" and essential to productivity improvement.Amen to that.But I'd go further. I see it as transformational not just to farming as an industry, but to rural New Zealand overall. Its...

Comments (1)

David Farrar on "Drop the Rate Mate"

Posted Fri 14 August 2009 @ 6:17 p.m. by Ernie

David Farrar's "Kiwiblog" has posted a supportive comment around the Drop the Rate campaign. David doubles as a market researcher, and interviewed some student focus groups in that capacity before the Campaign launch.David's comment about their market behavior is insightful:"Many said that their choice of mobile phone provider has nothing to do with personal choice, but (is) totally dependent on who all their friends are with. Hence in Wellington most students are Telecom and in Auckland most...

Comments (3)

Get the facts on Fibre Channel over Ethernet at the next TUANZ After 5s hosted by Brocade

Posted Fri 14 August 2009 @ 12:45 p.m. by Louis

Join Brocade at the TUANZ After 5s in September and get the facts on Fibre Channel over Ethernet. Brocade has been developing early market products and contributing to the standards development of Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). This technology simplifies server connectivity for both storage and messaging traffic. But as a new technology, there is confusion surrounding how and when FCoE will be deployed, and whether it complements or replaces Fibre Channel,...

Categories: Education | Events | Vendors

Comments (0)

Rural broadband announcement will focus on backhaul and schools - Minister

Posted Thu 13 August 2009 @ 11:52 a.m. by Ernie

The government will be making specific announcements about its rural broadband intentions in two to three weeks, Communications Minister Steven Joyce told the annual conference of the NZ Council for Infrastructure Development in Wellington this morning. Earlier in the day TUANZ had taken the government gently to task on National Radio for its silence about its broadband plans. So I was heartened in the introduction when the Minister said he would be talking about the “Two Ts of transport and telecommunications”,...

Comments (0)

2009 TUANZ Innovation Awards finalists announced

Posted Thu 13 August 2009 @ 9:58 a.m. by Louis

TUANZ has great pleasure in announcing the finalists in the 2009 TUANZ Innovation Awards, held in association with Voco.Once again these prestigious annual awards, hosted this year in partnership with IDC New Zealand, have attracted a high calibre of entries that demonstrate outstanding innovation in the telecommunications sector in New Zealand.According to head judge Leo Neal the entries received were once again of an outstanding standard, adding that innovation is one of the key drivers of productivity.“The...

Comments (0)

		112 Records Found, Viewing Page 1 of 5