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Waikato regional economic profile - Waikato Regional Council

Waikato regional economic profile - Waikato Regional Council

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Figure 78: Wireless broadband in theCoromandel Peninsula 282 Figure 79: Wireless broadband in the central<strong>Waikato</strong> region 283Wireless broadband is seen by thegovernment as an appropriate technology todeploy in areas of low population densitylike rural New Zealand. Wireless allowsmore access to the Internet from differentplaces, because fixed infrastructure is notrequired. International best practice for ruralcommunities is to deliver broadband overwireless networks. Ireland, Germany, theUnited States of America and Australia areall intending to go this way. Wirelessbroadband means rural families can stayconnected at home and on the farm,reducing geographical and social isolation.Wireless is also future-proofed. It meansnext generation mobile technologies, suchas 4G, can be rolled out to rural users. 284New broadband and mobile coverage inrural New Zealand is expected to enable amajor boost to rural productivity with data,SMS and machine-to-machinecommunication available (e.g. for soil,moisture, effluent or livestock managementand monitoring). 285Figure 80: Wireless broadband in the southern<strong>Waikato</strong> region 286The switchover to digital television will free up radio spectrum in the 700 megahertzband for new uses, most likely 4G mobile broadband services 287 . The Ministry ofEconomic Development released a discussion document in August 2011 on frequencyand planning allocation issues for the band. Given the increasing demand for data andspectrum it is likely that consideration of 5G 288 will not be far behind. 289282Vodafone (2012a) Rural broadband initiative coverage.283Vodafone (2012a) Rural broadband initiative coverage.284Payne V (2011, p. 2).285Payne V (2011, p. 3).286Vodafone (2012a) Rural broadband initiative coverage.287The fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadbandInternet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices.288A name used in some research papers and projects to denote the next major phase of mobile telecommunicationsstandards beyond the 4G/IMT-Advanced standards effective since 2011.289New Zealand Government (2011d, p. 30).Doc # 2069885 Page 75

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