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Māori participation in the telecommunications industry is set for a boost with the Government this week handing over the 5G frequencies set aside for Māori to the Māori spectrum working group.
Working group co-convenor Antony Royal says the group has been negotiating with the Government since 2018 on the deal under which Maori will also receive 20 percent of future commercial spectrum allocations.
He says it’s a significant amount, and the working group is looking forward to working with everyone in the sector to increase Maori participation at all levels.
“We don’t have many Maori in the telecommunications sector and that is something we would reverse over time. We want to be able to build our capacity not only in people who are skilled at working in the telecommunications sector but also to build businesses that use wireless technologies to solve real world problems so there is a wide range of opportunities for us,” Mr Royal says.
Draft legislation locking down the deal is nearing completion and should be introduced before the election.
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