Today we are excited to announce that our joint proposal with Vodafone has been selected by the Government to deliver the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), bringing world-class broadband to rural New Zealanders.

View the Telecom and Vodafone media statement.

Our proposal, based on significant existing infrastructure, capability and experience, will deliver fast broadband as well as significant improvements to mobile voice, SMS and data coverage to over 250,000 rural New Zealanders.

Now that our agreements with the Government have been signed, work will get underway immediately.  A fast start will come from building out from the investment both companies have already made in fibre, mobile and fixed line networks.

Within the first year, we will connect around 500 rural schools to fibre.  The RBI will provide 100Mbps services to 95 percent of rural schools, and a minimum 5Mbps broadband service to over 80 percent of rural households, within six years.

We’ll build an open access infrastructure with Vodafone.  All RBI-funded fibre and wireless components will be available on an equivalent basis to access seekers and wholesale customers, so any party can offer services over the new infrastructure.

For an overview on what we’re contracted to deliver, see the Minister’s media release.
For more information about the Rural Broadband Initiative, please go to the following sites which will be available from later today: www.telecom.co.nz/rural-broadband; www.vodafone.co.nz/rural-broadband

Benefits for Gen-i clients

The rural sector powers the New Zealand economy, generating 25 per cent of the country’s GDP and 65 per cent of export sales.

However, the sector faces increased pressure to meet compliance requirements, operate sustainably, ensure business continuity and improve productivity in a competitive global and consumer-driven marketplace.

Gen-i’s rural market vision is to provide New Zealand's rural and regional companies with integrated technology solutions nationwide that enable economic growth and bring prosperity to the New Zealand economy. 

This year, new fibre, mobile and fixed line networks will be built across rural and metro New Zealand. Our rural clients will have not only faster data services, but also a much wider choice of technologies and suppliers for these services.

We are working with rural and regional businesses to develop ICT solutions that leverage this new infrastructure to address the key business issues they face, deliver real outcomes and create economic value for the country. 

We see it as our responsibility to identify and deliver ICT solutions that address the key business issues faced by the rural sector. 

We will continue to consult with rural businesses and stakeholder groups before our new build work begins in July. 

If you have any questions, or want to discuss this further with me or any of the Gen-i team, please let us know.

Chris Quin
CEO Gen-i Australasia