“This is another positive step in the right direction, but we have already campaigned hard to lift Government’s sights, resulting in a lift in commitment from $48 million to $300 million. The question rural New Zealand has before it is now, are you happy with a second rate service?” asked Federated Farmers telecommunications spokesman Donald Aubrey.

"With this approach, some 860,000 Kiwis in ‘rural’ New Zealand may eventually have the broadband speeds that consumers in Wellington currently have, while 215,000 ‘rural’ Kiwis may end up with just a fifth of that speed.

“The 1.07 million Kiwis classed as ‘rural’ don’t wish to have what Wellington had, but to exceed current Government aspirations by seeking what Wellington will have. It’s a space Federated Farmers has invested much resource into and the Government is not ambitious enough about seeding the next agricultural revolution.

“Ultrafast Broadband from the farm is seeking a genuine paradigm shift socially, culturally and economically.

“The social, education and medical advances enabled by ultrafast broadband should be as available here as in the cities. Broadband enhances social connectedness while crushing the tyranny of distance.

“Our agricultural businesses produce two thirds of our country’s invaluable export dollars. When we say ‘rural’ we don’t just mean agriculture, but tourism and services that also demand enhanced broadband to flourish.

“This is also about revolutionising the supply chain to close the gap between farmers and end consumers. It’s about bringing the tangible worth of added value, back inside our farm gates and our communities. Broadband is the next big enabler for enhanced productivity and production.

“Right now, we can only look to emerging 3D technologies and telepresence to see how business models will radically change. Yet it’s also about tele-education and tele-health as well as research partnerships and the aggregation of productive, financial and other management data.