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Brislen on Tech
Telephones used to be such simple things. You grabbed them by the nose and turned the dial around and lo! You could talk to someone.
Then they became terribly complicated beasts. They were portable…
Apple launch snooze fest oh hello, what's this?
It is a ritual as old as time itself (well, certainly for the past 11 years at least). The pilgrimage to the well of all things - the annual Apple announcement about some new gear.
Broadband now seen as essential service: UN
The UN's Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has released a new report looking at how countries oversee the development of broadband, the policies that support deployment and how we all a…
Telcos mark Te wiki o te reo Māori
Rorohiko pōnaho, tātaitai, and pēne are three words learned today thanks to a new app, Kupu, launched for Te wiki o te reo Māori or Māori language week. Translated into English these words mean l…
Brislen on Tech
Three news stories this week mean we must surely give pause for a moment and reflect on what is going on with the internet.
The three stories relate to Microsoft and Facebook policing the internet.…
Collaboration key in delivering rural broadband
Where to now for rural broadband? That was the question for those attending the 2018 TUANZ Rural Connectivity Symposium in June. The organisation has just released a report of the event, which shows r…
Telco service in ComCom sights
The Commerce Commission cited Retail Telecommunications as its "top priority focus area" last week and today we found out why.
2Degrees seeks new CEO
Five years on from the terrible news that 2Degrees' CEO Eric Hertz and his wife had been killed in a plane crash, "acting" CEO Stewart Sheriff is to retire from the role later this year.
Schools doubling down on data
The nation's schools are proving voracious data users, consuming more than 12 petabytes in the first two school terms of this year. That's according to crown company Network for Learning (N4L), which …
OECD broadband stats - how NZ compares
The annual publication of OECD broadband statistics is maybe the best measurement for New Zealand's progress in terms of connectivity and broadband uptake. The stats, which include the year to Decembe…
Hawaiki goes live - brings diversity and capacity to market
After a decade of talks, planning, setbacks and struggle, the Hawaiki Cable has finally launched and is ready to provide connectivity between New Zealand and the north American continent.
Brislen on Tech
Lots going on in the telco land this week. First off, the Commerce Commission has reasserted its rights to oversee roaming into the future.
Roaming - the ability to acquire regulated access on to a…
ComCom keeps its eye on mobile roaming
Despite three mobile network owners operating in New Zealand, the Commerce Commission isn't convinced there is sufficient competition to remove national roaming from the list of services it oversees.
Brislen on Tech
Some things just shouldn't happen. First, paying the ransom. Second, breaking the internet, and third, expecting telcos to get along.
But somehow, all three of these happened lately - or at least s…
Net Neutrality - could US changes influence NZ?
Net neutrality continues to be undermined by US law, following a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission to repeal regulations created under the Obama administration. In the latest setback, th…
Who will pay for the user voice in fibre regulation?
With new telco legislation wending its way through Parliament, the Commerce Commission is suggesting a new levy could fund a consumer panel, as well as its own work, when the Telecommunications (New R…
Brislen on Tech
I remember my first trip to Fieldays in 1983. We'd just arrived in New Zealand (literally only days before) and off we went to see this spectacle of New Zealandness. It rained.
The six-wheel offroa…
End of an era - Stanners to depart Vodafone
After 13 years at the top, Vodafone New Zealand boss Russell Stanners is stepping down, paving the way for former Spark exec Jason Paris to take the helm later in the year.
Brislen on Tech
Computers aren't what they used to be. In the old days (y'know, Windows 98 era) they were big beige boxes that sat on the desktop taking up far too much room and firing up the fan on an inconsistent b…
Unbundling fibre
Telecommunications is an interesting sector - a company's competitor can also be its partner and its customer. That's how you get a situation where the second and third largest players in the fixed li…
