Kiwis Alarmed at Govt. Proposal to Destroy Landline Infrastructure

Press release

May 1, 2018, Save Our Landlines NZ.

 

Kiwis Alarmed at Govt. Proposal to Destroy Landline Infrastructure

                                              

 

Many New Zealanders are irate at the government’s plans to scuttle much of the country’s landline copper wired infrastructure, citing serious irreversible safety concerns.

 

Kiwis made submissions on the Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill to let the government know that the destruction of New Zealand’s copper landline infrastructure proposed in the bill is unacceptable.

 

The Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill began its life under the past National-led government and passed its first reading in Parliament in August 2017.

 

A preliminary analysis of submissions on the bill by volunteers working on the Save Our Landlines NZ campaign shows that the vast majority of individuals who made submissions on the bill are virtually unanimous in their desire to preserve New Zealand’s copper landline telephone network.

 

A common theme among submissions from individuals was how a corded phone connected to the copper landline network would still work even if a home lost power and could therefore provide vital access to emergency services.

(more…)

“Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill” threatens future of landlines

“Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill” threatens future of landlines

As of this writing (April 28 2018) a bill (the “Telecommunications (New Regulatory Framework) Amendment Bill”) is currently being considered by the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Parliamentary Select Committee.

Submissions on the bill closed on 2 February 2018.  (An extension until March 30 was granted to members of Grey Power but the organisation’s national leadership apparently chose not to inform its members about the extension.)

As of May 4, 2018, the select committee had posted 175 submissions on its website

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_74818/tab/submissionsandadvice

The clause of the bill that proposes to deregulate the copper phone line infrastructure in parts of NZ where fibre optic infrastructure

(more…)