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Bill Bennett
Freelance journalist.
Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers.
His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast.
Bennett's The Download Weekly newsletter is published every Friday. You can sign up for it here.
If you want to support his work, you can make a donation to his PressPatron account.
Bill Bennett - Latest News [Page 1]
Gilbertson wants action on barriers to churn
Friday, 21 March 2025, 6:08 pm | Bill Bennett
The Commerce Commission thinks it can be too hard to switch between mobile or broadband companies and that means you may be paying too much. Also in today's newsletter... NZers love working from home and it is effective, but bosses are cracking down on ... More >>
AI-driven Cyber Attacks, Ransomware Payments Rising In NZ
Saturday, 15 March 2025, 5:34 pm | Bill Bennett
Research from Kordia’s Business Cyber Security Report 2025 shows that nearly 60% of New Zealand businesses were hit by cyber-attacks in the past year, AI-powered threats and ransomware payments are top concerns. More >>
Download Weekly: ComCom Recommends Removing Rural Copper Regulations
Saturday, 15 March 2025, 5:31 pm | Bill Bennett
The Commerce Commission is in favour of deregulating copper networks outside of fibre areas. Government moving on more rural regulatory changes. 2degrees plans to offer satellite to mobile services next year. Spark cosies up to HP Enterprise. More >>
Download Weekly: One NZ chooses Ericsson for core network update
Saturday, 8 March 2025, 11:02 am | Bill Bennett
In this week's newsletter: The five-year deal with One NZ completes Ericsson's post-Huawei return from the mobile network wilderness. Digital Island declares independence from Spark. Tuanz updates the vibe if not the direction of its mission. More >>
Download Weekly: Chorus First Half Flat As Economy Bites
Friday, 28 February 2025, 6:26 pm | Bill Bennett
Chorus posted a flat first half result for the 2025 financial year showing a net loss of $5 million. Sky finds another satellite. First Eutelsat 5G satellite call. More >>
Download Weekly: Spark profit plummets 78 percent
Sunday, 23 February 2025, 2:00 pm | Bill Bennett
Spark has a terrible year, blames the recession. Equity fears over 3G mobile shutdown. One NZ sees 10k satellite messages daily. Microsoft signs Spark as cloud partner. More >>
Download Weekly: Faster Fibre And NZ's First Private 5G Network
Friday, 14 February 2025, 7:40 pm | Bill Bennett
700k New Zealand fibre users will get a substantial speed bump this year at no extra cost. Tū Ātea uses 5G network slicing for CentrePort contract. Tuanz broadens the scope of its rural symposium More >>
DeepSeek Shock Could Spur AI Space Race
Friday, 31 January 2025, 12:53 pm | Bill Bennett
AI brings many challenges and there are questions about DeepSeek but on the whole this week's news is ground for optimism. More >>
Are New Zealand's Submarine Links Safe?
Friday, 31 January 2025, 12:49 pm | Bill Bennett
Recent incidents damaging submarine cables pose the question of our island nation's dependence on a handful of links. More >>
Chorus Fibre Data Surge Marks End Of 2024
Monday, 27 January 2025, 12:28 pm | Bill Bennett
New Zealander's data consumption has climbed thirteen-fold in a decade and downloading a monthly terabyte is no longer outlier behaviour. The mobile market is largely static. PC sales improve. More >>
Nz broadband speeds improve but falling behind international pacemakers
Monday, 20 January 2025, 7:24 pm | Bill Bennett
Download Weekly Summer Edition: Ookla's International broadband speed comparison show New Zealand no longer beats the world. Network for Learning gets top marks from school principals. More >>
Download Weekly: Review Of 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024, 11:35 am | Bill Bennett
A look back at the New Zealand telecommunications sector’s biggest news stories and themes over the past year. More >>
One NZ scores worldwide first as Starlink direct-to-mobile launches
Monday, 23 December 2024, 11:32 am | Bill Bennett
In the latest Download Weekly newsletter: One New Zealand squeaked in ahead of the year end with its promised 100 percent coverage launch. The Commerce Commission is thinking about fibre deregulation. More >>
Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Zoom, zoom, zoom
Saturday, 14 December 2024, 11:19 am | Bill Bennett
Oppo’s Find X8 Pro is a flagship Android phone which shows the Chinese handset maker can go head-to-head with Samsung. While it could be more phone than you need or have a budget for, it does wonders for promoting Oppo’s brand. More >>
Download Weekly: Spark raises $314m selling remaining tower stake
Saturday, 14 December 2024, 11:14 am | Bill Bennett
Spark sells remaining mobile tower network stake for $314m. 2degrees gets external validation of its greenery. Microsoft opens its NZ data centre. More >>
Chorus, DataGrid Team For 540 Tbps Tasman Ring Network
Friday, 6 December 2024, 11:13 am | Bill Bennett
Datagrid has joined forces with Chorus to build an extensive Trans-Tasman submarine cable network. It's a departure for the fibre wholesale business, but wholly in keeping with its core business. The Commerce Commission wants Contact Energy and Nova Energy ... More >>
Living With An 8-Year-Old IPhone, Some Surprises
Friday, 6 December 2024, 11:10 am | Bill Bennett
In September I sent the review iPhone 15 Plus back to Apple and retrieved an eight-year old iPhone 7 Plus from the cupboard. How did that work out? More >>
Download Weekly: Starlink direct-to-mobile passes US regulatory hurdle
Friday, 29 November 2024, 10:59 am | Bill Bennett
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted conditional authorisation for Starlink to provide direct-to-mobile services in the United States. Google adding regional submarine capacity without stating NZ plans. Devoli tops Deloitte’s Masters ... More >>
Download Weekly: How would NZ telecoms cope with another cyclone
Friday, 22 November 2024, 2:52 pm | Bill Bennett
Would the telecommunications sector fare better if there was another extreme weather event like Cyclone Gabrielle? The Download Weekly put the questions to TCF CEO Paul Brislen. More >>
Download Weekly: 100% claim lands One New Zealand in criminal court action
Friday, 15 November 2024, 5:57 pm | Bill Bennett
In this week's newsletter: One New Zealand vows to defend criminal charges over its 100% coverage marketing. Chorus wants 5G fixed wireless held to same marketing standard as other broadband technologies. Mobile termination rate regulation could be on the ... More >>
