Timetable accelerated for rural broadband and mobile coverage: Minister Clare Curran

The Rural Broadband Initiative Phase Two (RBI2) and the Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF) builds will be substantially finished by end of 2021, a year than previously planned, says Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Clare Curran.

“New Zealanders must have access to technology as a right, regardless of income or geography andwe have to close the gap between the digital ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’to ensure people and communities benefit from the jobs, access and participation that a digital future brings,” says Curran.

“We are listening to feedback from businesses and from people who live in and travel to our most rural and remote areas, and they want more clarity around when their connectivity will improve. I want people to know they don’t have to wait until the end of 202

She adds: “The basis of a digital economy is universal access to efficient and cost effective broadband for all corners and communities in New Zealand.This government intends to grow ICT to be the second largest contributor to GDP by 2025sowe have to start the work now to close the digital divides.”

Minister Clare Curran

Curran says the deployment schedule and coverage information for RBI2 is now available on the National Broadband Map.

“An address checker is available on the map where you can type in your address to see if and when you will receive RBI2 broadband coverage. This will show both planned and actual coverage, and give an indication of the timing for planned coverage,” says Curran.

“The company providing service in your area is listed on the Availability Report when you search your address.

“Funding for the RBI2/MBSF programme comes mainly from the Telecommunications Development Levy (TDL), a levy paid by telcos, with some of the programme funded privately by the three mobile operators Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees.

“Funding for a $105 million RBI2/MBSF expansion comes from Crown Infrastructure Partners’ funds and announcements will be made in the coming months on the outcome of the RBI2/MBSF expansion process, which is currently underway.

She explains there are two categories for coverage under the MBSF: state highways and tourist locations. The MBSF is providing mobile coverage to approximately 1,000 kilometres of state highway and in over 100 tourism locations where no mobile coverage currently exists.

For highways, the top priority is to deliver coverage to the longest black spots, black spots with the highest traffic volumes, and those with the highest vehicle crash rates.

Curran says there will also be additional resources for rural communities not covered by these programmes to apply for under the $1 billion Provincial Growth Fund announced by Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones.

“Four regions – Tair?whiti/East Coast, Tai Tokerau/Northland, the West Coast, and Manawat?-Whanganui – were targeted for increased investment through a Provincial Growth Fund ‘surge’ effort and they also overlap with work on delivering faster broadband to rural and remote communities through RBI2.

“There is enormous untapped potential in our provinces – we have businesses with ideas and ambitions but they need infrastructure like high-speed broadband to compete equally in our 21st century economy,” says Curran.