Data caps 'serious constraint' to NZ broadband use

The use of data caps on broadband internet accounts in New Zealand is out of step with most of the OECD, according to a report released today.

The report, by Waurua Consulting, compares 2586 different broadband packages from OECD markets.

It compared download and upload speeds, costs, data caps, variety of offerings, contention ratios and finally an overall ranking table.

All up, the top country in the sample was Sweden, with New Zealand fifth from the bottom at 22nd.

Keith Davidson, executive director of InternetNZ which commissioned the survey, said data caps were a serious constraint on the way broadband internet could be used.

"Telecom and the rest of the industry need to give up data caps as soon as possible, just as they had to give up per hour dial-up charging years ago in favour of flat rate access," he said.

- NZPA