Copper Challenge

Rural Women is participating in a new coalition to challenge the Government taking over from the Commerce Commission and the unfair proposal to charge users of copper technology the same as fibre. The members of the coalition include a wide ranging mix of interests. It includes the following concerns.

1. In a discussion document issued last month, the Government proposed transferring decisions for the price of existing internet connections from the Commerce Commission – an independent regulatory body – to the Government itself and to charge users of existing copper technology the same as those with access to the faster fibre technology.
2. The discussion document is poorly written and there was no time given for Rural Women to consult with its members.
3. The intent behind this is to make fibre the attractive option. However, this is unfair to rural who do not have any choice but to remain on copper – these being the lucky ones – with others still having no access to copper at all. They should not have to pay a higher price when there is no technology to migrate to. It would be like the Government deciding that dial up internet should cost the same as broadband even if there was no broadband available in your community
4. While Chorus has lobbied the government saying that the figures set by the Commerce Commission are too low, and this is a point being made by coalition participants, our argument is not with Chorus but with how the Government has acted.

Please contact Noeline Holt if you have any questions.