TUANZ has warned that New Zealand is at a digital crossroads, with schools, households and public agencies facing widening gaps in access and online safety. The industry body outlined those concerns as it marked its 40th anniversary.

It said education policy, mobile network changes and the use of artificial intelligence are now central to a broader debate about economic participation and public trust. In its view, the draft Years 0-10 Technology curriculum risks treating digital literacy as a separate elective rather than a core part of learning.

Chief executive Craig Young said TUANZ’s focus has shifted over four decades from telecommunications market reform to questions of AI, ethics and inclusion. He said that reflects a need for “systemic” change in how New Zealand approaches trust, safety, access and inclusion.

“Our 2026 Action Plan is not a passive document; it is a demand for a systemic shift toward Trust and Safety and Access and Inclusion,” Young said.

He also criticised the direction of the school technology curriculum, arguing it could leave pupils less prepared for an economy shaped by AI tools. TUANZ said students need broader skills, including curiosity, critical thinking and self-regulation, if they are to work alongside AI rather than be displaced by it.

Young said schools have been left to manage disruption without a joined-up national approach, resulting in blunt responses in some cases. “In the absence of a cohesive national strategy, we have created a ‘wild west’ environment where schools are left to navigate disruption alone, often resorting to reactionary, binary measures like taking students completely offline,” he said.

Safety Gap

TUANZ also highlighted disparities in online harm and internet access. Citing InternetNZ’s Internet Insights research, it said 15% of the general population experiences online harm, rising to 20% for Māori and 27% for disabled people.

It added that 400,000 households still lack meaningful internet access due to financial barriers, underscoring a digital economy in which participation remains uneven across communities.

Young cast the issue in both economic and social terms. “We must be clear: education policy is economic policy in the AI age,” he said.

He said the same inequities are visible in wider debates about leadership, access and data use. “Our digital future cannot be built on “broken rungs” or “walled gardens,”” he said.

Mobile Shift

TUANZ also pointed to changes in mobile infrastructure as another sign of transition. One NZ and 2degrees have already retired their 2G and 3G networks, while Spark closed its 3G network at the end of March.

It said the closures allow carriers to reuse spectrum for 4G and 5G services after demand for mobile capacity rose by 18% this year. TUANZ also noted a shift in satellite-backed mobile services, referring to the Starlink Mobile brand as part of a broader move toward more continuous national coverage models.

The changes come as regulators in other markets examine broader outdoor mobile coverage obligations for essential services. TUANZ compared this with Australia’s approach to nationwide outdoor coverage requirements.

AI Debate

Artificial intelligence featured prominently in TUANZ’s assessment of the policy landscape. It said a “Trust Economy” is emerging around AI adoption, with users and businesses placing greater weight on governance and acceptable uses of the technology.

The organisation cited a reported migration of 2.5 million users from ChatGPT to Anthropic’s Claude, linked to concerns over government uses of AI systems. In New Zealand, it pointed to Xero’s partnership with Anthropic and the integration of Claude into JAX, an AI assistant intended to handle multi-step business tasks such as cash flow prediction.

At the same time, TUANZ said public sector bodies are taking a more restrictive stance on uncontrolled AI use. It said Health NZ has moved against “Shadow IT” in clinical settings due to privacy concerns, while global cloud providers continue to point to AI’s role in speeding up parts of the medical approval process.

In TUANZ’s view, that contrast reflects a wider tension between innovation and safeguards. New Zealand’s response, it said, will need to combine policy, ethics and practical deployment rather than rely on technology adoption alone.

The organisation said those questions will shape its policy work over the coming year as it seeks to influence debate on digital infrastructure, curriculum design and equitable access. “Whether we are advocating for gender equity in leadership or demanding transparent data use, our goal is to ensure that the next 40 years of New Zealand’s digital economy are defined by participation, not extraction,” Young said.