Tuanz Welcomes Investment In Rural Capacity Upgrade But Calls For More

Tuanz (Technology Users Association of NZ) has for over 30 years been committed to helping users understand new communications technologies and has been a staunch advocate for improved connectivity in rural New Zealand.

On the day which would have been the annual Tuanz rural connectivity symposium, Tuanz welcomes the announcement of a $15million investment in some priority improvements to capacity in rural broadband under the RBI programme.

“We know from talking with our rural partners, that many suffer under significant constraints and that there still remain gaps between rural households' experience and urban New Zealanders. This has been exacerbated at this time of lockdown and when children are staying home due to the Covid19 response.” said Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ. “This investment will go some way to ensuring that some of those constraints are fixed .”

However, Tuanz believes that it is timely to accelerate further investment in rural NZ by committing to a programme of ensuring all rural users have the same experience as urban. “In particular this means further support to the local wireless ISPs to continue to upgrade their networks, and to commit to upgrading the previous and current RBI mobile footprint to the latest technology as quickly as possible.”

Young also reminded people that damaging mobile towers is not an acceptable form of protest. “Damaging equipment at this time only serves to disrupt those communities, families and whanau who are in isolation in need of being connected for their health and wellbeing, and in particular disrupts and causes harm for children who are now in the new school term, learning from home.”

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