I often get annoyed by the various ‘powers that be’ spouting on about faster broadband and how it will improve life and business for all in NZ because I don’t think speed is the issue – it’s data caps. Until broadband in general in NZ stops being charged by the bit (or subsidising that through something like a pay TV subscription) then digitally downloadable movies, music, TV programmes and large software updates in bulk just isn’t a reality for most people.
Nice to see an outsider’s perspective on this, from someone who’s recently moved to NZ. See TidBITS Networking: Paying by the Bit: Internet Access in New Zealand. And interesting to read the comments from folks who live in the US but outside of larger cities.