A group representing Maori in film and television is looking to iwi to extend high-speed broadband beyond the main centres.
Nga Aho Whakari executive officer Pita Turei says Tuhoe and Ngati Wai are already experimenting with connecting rural communities, and other iwi may follow.
He says iwi have a different focus to the main telecommunications companies, which he says are interested in the larger population centres.
Under iwi management, he told Waatea News, broadband will reach out to other communities, which will increase the possibility of Maori working globally and marketing television, radio and film in a different way.
Pita Turei says digital technologies can allow Maori artists and broadcasters to remain productive against the tide of the recession.
