Rural broadband upgrade

The money will be used to upgrade some existing rural mobile towers, upgrade wireless backhaul, which connects remote sites to central networks, and install external antennae on households to improve coverage

Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Kris Faafoi says the investment will bring broadband services to rural households that are currently without access to the internet.

He says it will mean remote communities are better equipped to get going again when we exit lockdown.

“With the impacts of COVID-19 seeing increasing numbers of New Zealanders using broadband for education, work and maintaining links with friends and whānau, connectivity is more important than ever before,” he says

Faafoi says while the Government’s aim is to provide access to around 99.8% of New Zealanders, some households in isolated regions require reliable access to broadband services in light of COVID-19 – particularly households with school-age children who need internet access for remote learning.  

He says this new work brings forward capacity upgrades to meet increased demand for the internet where the urgency is most critical.