February 12, 2013
Spectrum vital for economic future
A Māori spectrum claimant is warning that Māori will be shut out of the next generation in mobile and data communications if they don’t get some of the 4G spectrum that the Government is preparing to allocate.
Graeme Everton says the Government has refused to accept the finding of the Waitangi Tribunal that spectrum is a tāonga.
Communications Minister Amy Adams is taking a paper to cabinet, 700 megahertz but Mr Everton says that the signs are there will be none for Māori.
“This particular frequency, this particular 4G, marks the change from voice to being the majority of what the value will be to data. If we don’t have spectrum to get people talking to us and making Māori part of that environment, we will be shut out of it. We will be out of a sector of an economy that is seen as one of the growth paths moving forward”.
Graeme Everton says the allocation of 3G spectrum to Māori benefited all New Zealanders because it was used by 2 Degrees to create real competition in the mobile phone market.
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