NZ National Broadband Network to add NZ$33 billion to economy

New Zealand's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) and Rural Broadband Initiatives (RBI) look set to deliver a NZ$33 billion boost to the New Zealand economy, says an Alcatel-Lucent study.

And if the country can improve its take-up of broadband and the use of applications by 20 percent, such economic benefits would increase to NZ$48 billion, attendees at a major Auckland conference on broadband heard. Andrew Miller, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent New Zealand, told The Future With High Speed Broadband conference in New Zealand that as end users become more familiar with broadband, they demand more innovative applications. Other studies have shown higher broadband penetration leads to higher economic growth, with a US survey showing 10 per cent more broadband use increased GDP by 1.8 per cent, with similar positive effects on employment, Miller said.