InternetNZ says the plan to have a new internet cable to New Zealand by June/July 2016 is ambitious but welcome.
Following the news that Spark, Vodafone and Telstra will build a new internet cable to New Zealand, InternetNZ released a statement saying the new cable is a positive sign for the future.
While the new cable will not be 'a panacea' for slow internet speeds or low caps, it will guarantee surety of supply as more and more of New Zealand's economy becomes online-dependent, says InternetNZ.
"As well as securing New Zealand's digital access, a new connection could also increase competition for the business of local ISPs, and that could contribute to the end of data caps and faster Internet access for New Zealanders in the long term. We regard the benefits of such a cable as significant, and they will become more so as time goes by," says Andrew Cushen, InternetNZ, chief executive.
He says when there was an error on the Southern Cross Cable a couple of years ago, and much of Auckland lost the ability to get online, it showed how valuable a second cable could be.
