In its latest Mobile Connectivity Index published overnight, the GSMA (the global mobile industry body) has ranked New Zealand third (marginally behind Australia and Singapore) out of 170 countries.
The GSMA index is based on four key enablers: infrastructure, affordability, consumer readiness, and content and services. New Zealand was also ranked third last year and has retained a top 3 ranking in the index for each of the past six years.
“The GSMA ranking reinforces that New Zealanders are well served by world-class telecommunications networks and services – the result of about $15 billion of investment across the entire sector over the past decade,” commented New Zealand Telecommunications Forum CEO Geoff Thorn.
“The performance in fixed networks and services is also equally impressive – New Zealand has had the fastest uptake of fibre broadband in the developed world, and the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) programme in partnership with Government means 83% of homes and businesses now have access to fibre, expected to rise to 87% by end 2022.”
As was outlined in the TCF’s recent 2020 Industry Report, New Zealanders are also benefiting from competitive pricing. CPI data shows average telco prices have fallen markedly over the past decade, at a time when costs have risen steadily for other key services – such as electricity, gas, and local authority rates, said Thorn.
“it’s been great to see how New Zealanders have embraced technologies like fibre and 4G, to transform the way they use telecommunications. We can expect the same to happen with the next wave of technologies – 5G, the Internet of Things, gigabit and 10 gigabit broadband, or whatever is around the next corner. The telecommunications sector is keen to ensure New Zealanders continue to reap the benefits of world-class networks and services in the years ahead.”
