Spark Jump a welcome move for digital inclusion in NZ

Spark Jump a welcome move for digital inclusion in NZ

InternetNZ is incredibly pleased to see Spark launch a new service - Spark Jump - that will help to increase digital inclusion in New Zealand.

Spark will offer families at risk of digital exclusion entry-level home broadband for only $15 per month. It will be a pre-paid service with no contractual obligations.

InternetNZ’s Chief Executive, Jordan Carter, says this is a fantastic example of how Internet service providers can get on board with improving digital inclusion in New Zealand.

“The Internet can offer huge benefits, but some New Zealanders can’t afford to get online and miss out on those benefits as a result. For some, the issue is location, with programmes such as the Government’s Rural Broadband Initiative taking a step in the right direction. While this is great, and certainly much needed, Spark Jump provides a solution to another barrier of getting online - cost,” says Carter.

InternetNZ sees digital inclusion as a key challenge facing New Zealand, and has made access a focus for 2016. Together with strategic partner the 2020 Trust, InternetNZ is building resources to help everyone better understand the issues, so that inclusion measures can be most effective.

“Spark Jump is a great example of what we want to see. Cost is a fundamental barrier for some New Zealanders to get online - not everyone can afford upwards of $60 per month. A more affordable broadband option will be life-changing for many families around the country,” says Carter.

Spark says that every day, tens of thousands of New Zealand children do not have access to home broadband and come home from school unable to continue their online learning. One of the main drivers for this new service is to target these families with school children and to give them digital access both at school and in the home.

“The Internet has changed lives significantly and is changing the way people learn. To ensure people do not get left behind, it’s essential that we break down barriers that may exclude people from accessing the Internet.

“This is certainly a step in the right direction and we applaud Spark for setting a stake in the ground and supplying an Internet connection at this low price,” says Carter.

Spark say that 5,000 families will benefit from Spark Jump over the coming 12 months.

ENDS

© Scoop Media