Men are more likely to rate having a home computer, high-speed Internet, a microwave and a Sky TV connection as a necessity of life than women.

A group of high-profile New Zealand businessmen including Sir Stephen Tindall (The Warehouse), Sam Morgan (TradeMe), Rod Drury (Xero) and Mark Rushworth (iHug-Vodafone) have joined to form an early-stage international fibre venture called Pacific Fibre.