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So far uptake of Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) has been sluggish, with only around 3% of those with fibre running passed their door signing up to a fibre plan.
The government is looking to goose interest with a new Digital Enablement Training programme for business people.
The website for the programme is shy on naming costs.
A spokesman for ICT Minister Amy Adams' office told NBR Online the cost is $800 per day - what could be seen as an ambitious price given businesspeople seem to have little interest in the rollout.
The Ministry for Business, Employment and Innovation contracted Cohort Consulting to develop the course content, train course providers, and to market the course on a $55,000 contract, NBR was told.
Each course will have two broadband awareness facilitators and a maximum of 12 participants. Industry and company-specific advice is promised.
Companies can apply for a 50% subsidy from NZ Trade & Enterprise.
Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and Dunedin over coming months.
Ms Adams says the need for more broadband awareness is illustrated by the fact that despite the fact that nearly two million New Zealanders want to buy online, only 64 per cent of small businesses have a website and only 11 per cent offer customers the ability to pay online.
Earlier, telecommunications analyst Paul Budde told NBR that price was the key reason behind slow UFB update.
The price of fibre plans needed to be at least halved.
NBR staff
Mon, 26 Aug 2013
Mon, 26 Aug 2013
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Are you a business person dubious about the UFB? Pay $800 a day for Digital Enablement Training
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