Effectiveness and Efficiency in the Build-Up of High-Speed Broadband Platforms in Australia and New Zealand

The government of Australia is investing close to AUD $37.4 billion into the deployment of a nationwide broadband network, the National Broadband Network (NBN). Likewise, the New Zealand national broadband initiative, whereby the government is currently building a nation-wide fibre-optics network known as the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network, is investing NZD $1.5 billion with a similar amount expected from private partners. This paper analyses key elements in the plans developed by Australia and New Zealand while inquiring about the pros and cons of the approach followed by each country, specifically referring to the effectiveness and efficiency with which their fibre-based access networks are being built. The paper summarises results from recent literature on the reasons for public intervention in broadband expansion and builds an analytical framework that inquires on the extent to which each broadband initiative has been an effective vehicle of fibre-based, broadband expansion and their efficiency in the transition towards fibre-based broadband.