Clare Curran: Rugby World Cup will test networks

Speaking at the Tuanz Rural Connectivity Symposium, Communications Minister Clare Curran said next year's Rugby World Cup will test the nation's networks.

Earlier this year Spark and TVNZ won the rights to broadcast the 2019 Rugby World Cup outbidding Sky TV. While some games will be shown on free-to-air television networks, Spark's plan is for many fans to watch streaming coverage delivered over internet connections to their smart TVs, tablets, laptops and phones.

Curran says: "I imagine most people in this room have been watching what’s happening in Australia in the last week or so with Optus streaming the football World cup. It could be described as a meltdown that’s now seen Optus Australia give all group games to SBS – the Australian free-to-air channel.

"Lagging and freezing video, frequent drop outs and picture quality problems outraged sports fans and prompted Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull to speak to the Optus CEO."

Rugby is important in New Zealand

This is something of a wake-up call. Curran says she acknowledges the importance of rugby in New Zealand. It's also personal — the minister famously once wore a Highlanders' short in a parliamentary debate.

The issue was of direct relevance to the audience at the Rural Connectivity Symposium. Rugby support is strongest in the regions and rural areas. Many of these places are beyond the reach of the fibre network.

By the time of the Rugby World Cup, the first phase of the UFB programme will be complete and the second phase will be well underway.

Mixed rural picture

So, the roughly three-quarters of the population covered should have no problem watching games. The rural picture is more mixed with many areas having only fixed wireless broadband connections which may, in places, struggle with congestion.

Curran says she is watching what Spark is doing to head off similar problems. As part of this she will be working with the minister of sport, Grant Robertson.

Curran says: "I’m really encouraged that Spark has set up an industry working group — made up of technical and operational experts — who will work closely together to ensure they give New Zealanders a good Rugby World Cup experience. I understand part of the group’s work is to resolve potential problems.

"I also wrote to Spark earlier this month asking them to keep me informed about its plans to ensure rural New Zealand doesn’t miss out on the opportunity to see the entire tournament."

MyRepublic plans MVNO

CommsDay reports MyRepublic plans to launch a mobile virtual network operator service in New Zealand. The story quotes Malcolm Rodrigues who heads the Singaporean parent company. He told Singapore media the company plans to follow its Singapore MVNO with similar services in New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia. He said this will happen within a year.

MyRepublic was the first new foreign-owned retail service provider to enter New Zealand after the announcement of the UFB network in 2009. In Australia MyRepublic is an NBN retail service provider. There are few MVNOs in New Zealand, collectively they account for less than one percent of mobile connections.

Nine start-ups join Vodafone Xone

Vodafone has added nine start-ups to its accelerator programme. The newcomers include a company making a wearable health device and another developing chatbot technology.

Lauren Merritt who head's the Xone programme says Vodafone can help companies like Urigo, which means a wearable device for tracking bladder flow, get its product to market. It provides funding, hands-on support and technology development through the telco's labs and networks.

Haast Pass gets cell tower

Haast Pass has a new cell tower, one of the first installed by the Rural Connectivity Group. The tower delivers mobile coverage for the Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees network in an isolated spot on the South West of the South Island.

An emergency call box is attached to the tower so that motorists passing through the area can make emergency calls without a mobile phone.

It's the second tower in the area. In May, a tower was installed for the Haast township.

More time for government cyber security strategy

Government says it will extend the deadline for its cyber security strategy refresh. It also plans to go deeper into the issues. In a media statement Clare Curran, the broadcasting, communications and digital media minister says the government has extended the time available for input until September.

Curran will report back to cabinet at the end of October with a revised cyber security strategy and action plan.

Four in five European homes have next generation broadband

A report from the European Commission says more than 80 percent of homes in its 28 member countries along with Norway, Iceland and Switzerland now have access to what it describes as next-generation access technologies. These include fibre-to-the-home, VDSL and Docsis 3.0 and covers speeds of 35Mbps or higher. The report says less than half of rural homes in member countries have access to these technologies.