23 Mar 2012

Minister talks up Christchurch's IT potential

8:02 pm on 23 March 2012

The Minister for Communications and IT, Amy Adams, says Christchurch is well placed to take advantage of ultra-fast internet speeds.

A total of 14,000 homes and businesses in the city already have access to the new fibre-optic cable that can deliver internet 10 times faster than regular broadband.

Ms Adams says it's not just the ability of companies to construct new technology-ready buildings after the earthquakes that gives them an advantage over the rest of the country.

She says the innovative thinking now coming out of the city could also help to spur new ideas for getting the best out of ultra-fast broadband.

The nationwide implementation will take seven years.

Ms Adams admits the technology is a leap of faith as far as its potential applications are concerned.