The Commerce Commission is inviting feedback on enhancements to its Measuring Broadband New Zealand (MBNZ) programme.

Telecommunications Commissioner Tristan Gilbertson said that, since it was launched in 2018, the current MBNZ programme has given consumers important information on the performance of different technologies, providers and plans to help inform their purchasing decisions.

“Independent comparisons are important for consumers and need to stay on top of developments in a rapidly changing market.” Mr Gilbertson said.

Mr Gilbertson said that the Commission has identified two key opportunities for improving the programme. One is including more technologies, providers and plans in the programme, so that it better reflects the range of choice available in the market. The other is expanding the programme, beyond speeds, to include monitoring and reporting of in-home Wi-Fi performance.

“Capturing new technologies like 5G and satellite broadband, including smaller providers and plans, and measuring in-home Wi-Fi performance will provide a richer source of information for consumers,” Mr Gilbertson said.

Mr Gilbertson said that, in addition to helping consumers compare the performance of broadband technologies, providers and plans, the MBNZ programme is also a useful tool for providers to see how they compare against their competitors, and to identify and fix performance issues.

“Shining a light on performance encourages providers to compete against each other on quality as well as price for the benefit of consumers.”

Feedback from industry stakeholder and consumers will help inform the Commission’s procurement of an independent testing provider for the delivery of the MBNZ programme.

The MBNZ consultation paper is available on the Commission’s website. Submissions close 16 March 2022.

More information about Measuring Broadband NZ can be found on the MBNZ website.