I blame the Telco's. We pay far too much for internet data in NZ, I don't blame Cafe's, etc for having restrictions or charges.

There's also jerks who take advantage of free Wi-fi spots and go and download gigs worth of data, which means free hotspots are becoming scarcer. I get sick of these losers who ruin it for the rest of us, this same principle resounds throughout every area of society.

Why is it someone elses responsibility to provide you with internet access?  If it's because of the cost then it's the same reason why Cafe's don't (and I'm not sure that they should have too) provide access.

Rubbish, the thing that constrains NZ moving forward is the lack of people / businesses wiling or able to invest either from an insfrastructure stand point due to the return on investment and a populous unwilling to contribute because they expect everything to be free or cheap (The Warehouse mentality).

Comparing services between countries with larger populations, higher revenues providing better infrastructures with New Zealand is completely unbalanced.

We have a limited amount of revenues available in a country with a small population and limited nature resources enabling us to return higher export dollars which in turn helps pave the way for innovations and expansion.

Within these constraints New Zealand is still an innovative and forward thinking, but these innovations are still be paid for by someone.

All telcos provide a mobile data services in New Zealand, something they get return on investment, Telecom runs a subscriber wifi service around the main centres which is free to existing Telecom customers or user paid for others, again with a return for the companies who have to invest in infrastructure to provide these services, so there are plenty of connectivity options in New Zealand, you just have to pay for them.

Some Cafes provide wifi for customers to encourage patronage, although I question the return based on customers buying 1 coffee and spending 2 hours online, but again a businesses choice.