Far North gets BCL backing

By PETER GRIFFIN

The Far North has taken another small step towards getting the broadband internet services its residents have long been lacking, after TVNZ's transmission arm BCL gave preliminary support as a wireless backbone provider.

BCL (Broadcasting Communications Ltd) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Far North Development Trust to cooperate in developing wireless, high-speed internet and telecoms services that could be based on BCL's soon-to-be-upgraded network of broadcasting towers.

The move signals BCL's long-anticipated involvement in the venture, part of which will involve the creation of a community-owned and run "virtual telco" being set up in the Far North to run the services on a commercial basis.

"We're moving towards the real stuff," said trust chairman Chris Matthews, who yesterday updated Communications Minister Paul Swain in Kaitaia on plans to deliver the services to businesses, Government organisations and residents.

"Our [wireless local loop] will be connected to BCL's towers, which are currently being digitalised, and the back link will go down the country and connect into other networks," said Mr Matthews.

Partnerships with those network providers have not yet been sealed, but could realistically only include Telecom or TelstraClear, or both.

A wireless local loop would bypass Telecom's rural copper network using wireless antennas or dishes to plug into a central network.

"The last stage of the plan is to form a commercial entity for the virtual telco," added Mr Matthews.

"It will be owned by the community and have a business case drilled down to the nth degree."

Details on the management structure of the virtual telco would be revealed next month.

Though a time for trials of the wireless technology that will be used to deliver the broadband services has not yet been set, Mr Matthews expected a start to be made "early in the year".

The Far North has also banded together with four other regional organisations involved in Government-funded broadband pilots, creating the Broadband Forum, which will set guidelines by which telcos do business with them.

Other regions represented in the forum include Southland, Taranaki, Wairarapa and East Cape.

South Waikato pulled out of the pilots late last year.

Mr Matthews said the trust estimated that only 45 to 50 per cent of the Far North would gain broadband if the market was left to provide the services on a profit-oriented basis.

"We don't want to own and operate a telecoms company but it's the only way we're going to get ubiquitous coverage at the same price for everybody."

Last week, dairy company Fonterra said it was talking to five parties about establishing a rural telecoms network to service its 13,000 farmers.

The aim would be to use wireless technology to provide internet access at 64kbps (kilobits per second) within a year.