Copper network rollback could leave communities disconnected 75h1n

There are alarm bells ringing for some households in remote parts of the country as Chorus looks to phase out the use of its copper network to replace with fibre. The copper network is what we need for old-school landlines and broadband internet. But the commerce commission is looking to wind it back, it has closed submissions on a draft recommendation to stop copper from being used in urban and rural areas. The Media and Communications Minister is due to make a decision by the end of the year. If it goes ahead though some people left without copper won't have access to get help in an emergency or stay connected. Bella Craig reports. 661j31