by Editor | Sep 28, 2018 | News
Please take action TODAY against the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Bill which has passed its second reading.
Save Our Landlines NZ’s position is that the bill should be withdrawn and redrafted so that it PROTECTS NZers access to the copper phone line network.
According to the new Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, the Hon. Kris Faafoi, the copper landlines in rural NZ are safe, but the copper landlines system in NZ towns and cities are still threatened by the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill.
The Save Our Landlines NZ campaign therefore asks all supporters to lobby MPs and party leaders against the bill by taking the following steps:
1. Visiting party leader’s FB pages and leaving polite messages and/or comments asking them to withdraw their party’s support for the bill unless the bill is reformed to protect NZer’s access to the copper phone system. (Details of FB pages and suggested messages are below.)
2. Emailing party leaders and your local MP with a polite email asking them to withdraw their party’s support for the bill unless the bill is reformed to protect NZer’s access to the copper phone system. (Details of how to access email addresses and a template letter you can adapt for your own use are below.)
Details for Facebook pages for NZ party leaders:
https://www.facebook.com/jacindaardern/
https://www.facebook.com/winstonpeters/
https://www.facebook.com/JamesShawMP/
https://www.facebook.com/maramadavidsonmp/
https://www.facebook.com/simonjbridges/
Suggested information you can use when sending a FB message or leaving a comment:
1) The copper landline phone network allows people to have a safe corded phone and hardwired internet access.
2) Corded copper landline phones will usually work when a house has lost power so are important in emergencies.
3) Removal of copper was opposed by the vast majority of NZers who made submissions on the bill; it is undemocratic for the government to have essentially ignored this feedback.
4) Keeping the copper supports consumer choice and frees up the fibre bandwidth for those people and businesses that actually need really fast internet.
5) Spark wants to move low data internet customers to fixed wireless broadband (and deny them access to fibre – https://www.computerworld.co.nz/…/spark-abandon-copper-fib…/ ) even though this would mean further proliferation of cellular phone towers. and increased health risks including potentially increased risk of cancer (see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21741680 ) for people living close to this infrastructure.
Thank you for your support on this issue.
NB: If you have time, please make multiple postings of individual points on the comments on Facebook pages that allow members of the public to do this. Doing so will increase the visibility of this topic to leaders’ staff and also alert other New Zealanders about the implications of this bill which has had little mainstream media coverage.
Information to help you email MPs and party leaders
You will be able to find email addresses for New Zealand MPs at this link: http://haveyoursay.nz/#/
Could you please email your local MP and also email our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, leaders of the Green Party Marama Davidson and James Shaw and the leader of the National Party Simon Bridges and ask them to withdraw their party’s support for the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Bill unless it is reformed to PROTECT NZers access to the copper landline phone system.
You will be able to find email addresses at this link: http://haveyoursay.nz/#/
If you would like a template letter that you could adapt for your own use, you could use the one at this link:
A vote for the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill is a vote for the destruction of much of NZ’s copper landline phone system
Thank you very much for your support on this issue.
Please join us
Your voice in defence of New Zealand’s copper landline network and your taking the time to help educate others about the importance of this important national infrastructure would be most appreciated.
If you would like to help with the campaign you may contact us via our COntact Form which you can reach by clicking HERE.
If you would like to sign a petition to show your support for saving NZ’s copper landline phone system, you can access a petition at the link below: https://saveourlandlines.nz/news/save-our-landlines-nz-launches-petition/
We have a Facebook page that you are welcome to life and follow it is https://www.facebook.com/Save-Our-Landlines-NZ-1626155717464225/
by Editor | Sep 26, 2018 | News
In May 2018 Whangarei journalist Clare Swinney wrote to the Clare Curran, who was then Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media. The topic of her letter was the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill. She recently received a reply from the new Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Hon Kris Faafoi.
Among other things, the letter states that Chorus will not be able to withdraw the copper landlines in the rural areas of NZ, where the government does not plan to install fibre.
As it stands, the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill still allows for the piecemeal destruction of the copper landline phone system in New Zealand towns and cities that have fibre which is bad for consumers who value the benefits of the copper landline system, a step backwards for health and safety and undemocratic, considering how public support for retaining the copper landline system was essentially ignored by the committee considering the bill.
Nonetheless the letter from the responsible Minister provides some level of reassurance to rural New Zealanders who put a particularly high value on the copper landlines phone system
You may read the letter from the Hon Kris Faafoi by downloading the PDF at the link below:
Letter from Kris Faafoi to Clare Swinney 19092018171124-0001
About Save Our Landlines NZ:
This website is being developed by New Zealanders who want to see the copper landline network in NZ to be retained and protected. If you value having a corded landline phone that will work even if you home (and the area in which you live) loses electricity, you are very welcome to join us.
To get updates on this issue, please follow our Facebook page at the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/Save-Our-Landlines-NZ-1626155717464225/
If you would like to help in any way with the campaign to save NZ’s copper landline network, please email us through the contact form below.
https://saveourlandlines.nz/contact-us/
by Editor | Sep 19, 2018 | News
Telecommunications bill: Pushing ahead with the piecemeal destruction of New Zealand’s copper landline system.
The Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill (which has now passed its second reading) is designed to allow the piecemeal destruction of New Zealand’s copper landline system.
The copper landline system allows people to have a safe corded phone which will usually work when a home or business loses power, proving a vital lifeline in the event of an emergency.
If the bill becomes law, New Zealanders who lose access to the copper system who want to have the security of having a working phone during a power outage will have fork out for an expensive battery back-up system for a fibre based phone.*
While the bill started its life under the previous National-led government, it is now the responsibility of Labour MP Kris Faafoi.
The Select Committee that considered the bill essentially ignored the submissions from members of the public which were overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the copper landline system to facilitate consumer choice and for public safety reasons.**
Save Our Landlines NZ urges MPs to reject the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill unless it is redrafted to protect New Zealanders’ access to the safe, reliable copper phone line network rather than allow for the important asset, built up over many decades to be destroyed.
ENDS
*The system recommended by Spark costs several hundred dollars.
** A press release on this issue may be read at this link: https://saveourlandlines.nz/news/kiwis-alarmed-at-govt-proposal-to-destroy-landline-infrastructure/
** Quotes from a selection of the submissions may be read at this link:
https://saveourlandlines.nz/news/quotes-from-submissions-on-telecommunications-bill/
Note to media:
Should you wish to talk to someone from the Save Our Landlines please email us thorugh the Contact Form and we will be in touch.
About Save Our Landlines NZ:
This website is being developed by New Zealanders who want to see the copper landline network in NZ to be retained and protected. If you value having a corded landline phone that will work even if you home (and the area in which you live) loses electricity, you are very welcome to join us.
To get updates on this issue, please follow our Facebook page at the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/Save-Our-Landlines-NZ-1626155717464225/
If you would like to help in any way with the campaign to save NZ’s copper landline network, please email us through the contact form below.
https://saveourlandlines.nz/contact-us/
by Editor | Sep 19, 2018 | News
The Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill has passed its second reading in New Zealand’s parliament.and is now at the “Committee of the Whole House” stage of the legislative process.
Save Our Landlines NZ has put out an open letter to MPs asking them to vote against this bill as, in its present form, it allows for the piecemeal destruction of New Zealand’s copper landline infrastructure. You may read the letter at the link below:
A vote for the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill is a vote for the destruction of much of NZ’s copper landline phone system
About Save Our Landlines NZ:
This website is being developed by New Zealanders who want to see the copper landline network in NZ to be retained and protected. If you value having a corded landline phone that will work even if you home (and the area in which you live) loses electricity, you are very welcome to join us.
To get updates on this issue, please follow our Facebook page at the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/Save-Our-Landlines-NZ-1626155717464225/
If you would like to help in any way with the campaign to save NZ’s copper landline network, please email us through the contact form below.
https://saveourlandlines.nz/contact-us/
by Editor | Sep 6, 2018 | News
Website editor’s link: In August 2018 Green Planet FM featured a discussion between host Tim Lynch and Katherine Smith on a variety of issues relared to electromagnetic radiation and health,
The interview began with a discussion about smart meters (the new wireless meters being introduced for electricity – these are NOT compulstory in NZ – please see www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz) and then continued on the topic of the government plan to phase out mcuh of New Zealand’s copper landline phone network. A new wireless technology (5G) was also dsicussed. (For NZ-specific information about 5G please see www.5G.org.nz),.
The interview and background information may be accessed via the link below:
https://www.ourplanet.org/greenplanetfm/katherine-smith-5G-mobile-network-increasing-radiation-transmission-impacting-human-health
Save Our Landlines NZ would like to thank Tim Lynch for a great interview as well as his other efforts to inform people about the threat to NZ’s copper landline phone network and other important issues.
Please join us
Your voice in defence of New Zealand’s copper landline network and your taking the time to help educate others about the importance of this important national infrastructure would be most appreciated.
If you would like to help with the campaign you may contact us via our Contact Form which you can reach by clicking HERE.
If you would like to sign a petition to show your support for saving NZ’s copper landline phone system, you can access a petition at the link below: https://saveourlandlines.nz/news/save-our-landlines-nz-launches-petition/
We have a Facebook page that you are welcome to life and follow it is https://www.facebook.com/Save-Our-Landlines-NZ-1626155717464225/
