Digital Strategy

I attended the launch of the Government’s Digital Strategy yesterday, in the Beehive Foyer. It was a real who’s who of the industry with Telecom’s Theresa Gattung and all the other prominent players there.

I think the IT/Comms area is one where the Government is doing a pretty good job, and the digital strategy, unlike some other documents, actually delivers some very useful initiatives such as $24 million for regional open access broadband networks. Yes I am sceptical in certain areas of the value of the state spending money, but I see stuff like this as core infrastructure, just as important as roads.

The Dom Post has a good focus on what is called cash for Mush!

Also good to see the Government no longer talking about getting better access to broadband, which technically starts at 256 Kb/s but fast broadband of 5 Mb/s or more. There is a big difference between the two. As Citylink says 5 Mb/sec is still not what some would consider fast, but it is a great step forward. Incidentally InternetNZ’s long-term vision is 1 Gb/s access to every house! Talking of InternetNZ their statement on the strategy is here.

David Cunliffe has done well to get the funding for the strategy, and in producing a final strategy significantly tighter than last year’s draft strategy, showing they listened to the feedback.

And to prove he walks the walk, not just talks the talk, he mentioned to me at the launch he does read this blog. And later that day a dreaded ninth floor staffer quoted my own words back to me re something I had blogged that morning. I just hope that H1 and H2 do not use the Internet 🙂