Subsidised broadband Spark Jump bridges Digital Divide

Friday, 6 July 2018

Subsidised broadband Spark Jump bridges Digital Divide in Whanganui

Today Spark Foundation and 20/20 Trust have announced that subsidised broadband is now available to more families in Whanganui through the Davis Central City Library, enabling more students to keep up with the digital skills necessary for today. Until now, the Sparkj Jump has only been available at Nga Tai o Te Awa, where nearly 50 families have been connected.

As classroom learning goes digital, students without broadband at home are at risk of being left behind. Spark Jump enables more children to go online outside of classroom hours and get on the right side of the Digital Divide. Families with children up to the age of 18 and no current broadband connection are eligible for the programme. They will receive a modem and a wireless broadband connection and pay $10 for 30GB with no fixed term contract. As a pre-pay service, the modem can be topped up at any time in the same way as pre-pay mobile phones.

Spark Foundation partners with community-based organisations like 20/20 Trust to deliver wireless broadband to families without internet. The Trust is active in communities around the country and works with local partners to select families for the programme based on the eligibility criteria set by the Spark Foundation and the intent to support education.

In Whanganui, staff at the Davis Library as well as the team at Nga Tai o Te Awa, are able to help families set up and manage their Spark Jump internet connections. Interested families should contact these organisations to enquire when Spark Jump sessions are being held.

Whanganui District Library, digital programme coordinator, Jordan Rees, says Spark Jump will help close the skills gap between families who can afford home broadband and those who can't.

"We're passionate about empowering our community with access to online services and it's important for everyone to keep up with the digital skills necessary for today. Access to the internet is critical to get our children better placed to do amazing things in school and later in life, and adults need to have the confidence to support them”, says Mr Rees.

Nga Tai o Te Awa project coordinator, Tyson Tauri, said bridging the digital divide is important to ensure all students get the skills needed in the digital world we live in.

“It is important to make internet access more accessible, especially with the Digital Divide being such a topical issue. For some families, home broadband is simply not affordable. We know that an initiative like Spark Jump will help more children in our community thrive and do better at school," says Mr Tauri.

Spark Foundation Lead Kate Thomas is pleased the partnership with 20/20 Trust is expanding the reach of Spark Jump to reach more families at risk of being digitally excluded.

“We’re pleased to serve communities around the country with a truly useful product like subsidised broadband. We're excited to see more homes in Whanganui turn into digital learning environments to better prepare students for the digital world," says Ms.Thomas.

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