Cash for better rural internet

GISBORNE NET, a company established to provide internet to the Poverty Bay Flats, is now a key link in a $140 million Government plan to provide internet to rural communities.

About $1 million in grant money will come here as part of the Government plan to extend its rural broadband initiative (RBI) to another 74,000 rural households and businesses.

Telecommunications Minister Simon Bridges has named Gisborne Net as the wireless internet service provider (WISP) for the East Coast, Northern Hawke’s Bay and Northern Bay of Plenty.

Gisborne Net will connect 1450 homes, farms and businesses over a broad area that includes remote and difficult terrain in the Gisborne and Wairoa regions.

While the Government grant to Gisborne Net is about $1 million, the company expects that to increase, depending on the number of new customers connected, which is expected to be more than the 1450 already budgeted.

Gisborne Net managing director Ronald Brice said the grant came after the company successfully negotiated with Crown Fibre Holdings for funding to develop and grow this region’s rural broadband network.

“It’s satisfying to see that so many WISPs like Gisborne Net have been entrusted with parts of the Government’s latest RBI2 initiative.

“The grant funding will enable us to extend Gisborne Net’s services into areas — particularly in Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay and the Northern East Coast — that have had no realistic internet service to date.”

The Government’s $1m investment, combined with additional investment from Gisborne Net, would allow upgrades to the network and finance new repeater sites throughout the region.

Benefits for existing customersThat would have spin-off benefits for existing customers.

“Existing customers will also benefit from the improved infrastructure that will be installed to service the new areas.

“Customers will see improved speed and reliability in Gisborne Net’s network.”

Gisborne Net was established in 1995 with the express purpose of providing affordable wireless broadband services to customers in Gisborne and the Poverty Bay Flats. Since then its network has grown to include Wairoa and Northern Hawke’s Bay, Matawai, the East Coast and recently, northern Bay of Plenty.

Gisborne Net now provides wireless and fibre broadband services (UFB) to thousands of business, rural and domestic customers in the region.

“While Gisborne Net provides UFB fibre in Gisborne City, wireless remains the fastest and most cost-effective broadband technology available to the rural community.

“RBI2 funding endorses wireless internet services and more customers will now be able to enjoy the benefits of connecting to Gisborne’s locally-owned and operated broadband wireless network.”

The first radio site in the expanded network for the Northern Hawke’s Bay area is expected to be installed later next month and the entire project should be completed over the next two years.

Company co-founder Dave Parker said this was the second time the company had been involved in the RBI scheme.

“This one has a slightly different target, in that the Government has connected rural customers in the back of beyond, quite a lot of them in the southern Wairoa area and quite a few around the northern end of East Cape. We identified customers in these areas and the Government has put them into their own analysis.”

The new funding forms part of a $270m telecommunications investment package. It will invest $130 million to extend UFB to another 60,000 households and businesses in 190 new towns and complete the network by 2022. This is as well as $140 million to extend rural coverage of high-speed broadband under the RBI to another 74,000 rural households and businesses, and to deliver mobile coverage on 1000 kilometres of rural highways and more than 100 tourist areas through the mobile black spot fund.