Schools to share ultra-fast broadband with communities

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Schools with ultra-fast broadband will soon be able to share their fibre connections with their local communities.

Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye said in communities with poor connectivity - typically rural or remote areas - schools would soon be able to make their fibre infrastructure available to others.

"This move supports students to engage in learning anywhere, at any time. Families will have a greater ability to connect with their children's learning, and schools' connections to their communities will be strengthened.

"I anticipate this will also enable students who don't have internet at home to continue their learning after school."

The arrangement would not suit every school, but there would be benefits for certain rural and lower socio-economic communities, Ms Kaye said.

"These benefits include giving access to people who would not previously have had reliable internet. The school can become a community focal point.

The Government had increased funding to speed up the roll-out of broadband to schools so they had access to a managed network providing them with safe, predictable and fast internet with uncapped data, content filtering and network security services, she said.

"This provision of fibre connections for ultra-fast broadband offers an opportunity for some schools to act as digital hubs in their communities. This can include schools providing adult education courses in digital literacy and/or expanding education opportunities for students outside school hours and beyond school grounds," Ms Kaye said.

The Ministry of Education would provide guidelines and information to school boards who wish to set up a commercial arrangement with internet service providers allowing access to their fibre connection.

"This will ensure that schools protect their ability to receive network connections and avoid additional costs or responsibilities."

How it will work:

* The fibre connections are owned by the wholesale supplier contracted by the Ministry of Education to roll out broadband (e.g. Chorus).

* The school is the 'first tenant' of the fibre connection from the school gate to the buildings. As first tenants, they have to agree to usage by any other party to that fibre.

* The Education Act stipulates that schools cannot operate services to the public from school premises, however school boards may agree they are willing for a wholesale provider to enable third party providers to use some of the fibre connection that has been provided to the school.

* The third party can then on-sell internet access to the local community.