Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Inquiry focuses on potential problems with broadband

Updated at 3:07 pm on 5 April 2011

The Commerce Commission is investigating whether there could be any issues which would stop consumers from using the Government's planned ultra-fast broadband network.

The Government is spending up to $1.5 billion rolling out fibre-optic cabling to three-quarters of homes by 2019.

The commission will look at whether data usage caps put in place by service providers and the technical infrastructure of the internet in New Zealand could cause problems for consumers wanting to use the service.

It will also investigate whether network neutrality, which has been hotly debated in the United States, is an issue for New Zealand.

Network neutrality is a theory which suggests all data flowing across the internet should be treated equally and should not be prioritised based on the type of service or a premium paid.

The commission is due publish a discussion paper for consultation at the end of June this year.

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