Rural Broadband - A Game of Catch Up

Rural Women New Zealand welcomes news that the Government has heeded its calls for a much greater investment in rural broadband than the paltry $48 million announced in this year’s Budget - which was a fraction of the $1.5 billion earmarked for further upgrading urban broadband.

Dismal dial-up internet access, which is the lot of around half of all rural households, has made many rural families and students second class citizens, unable to participate in today’s world of communications and technology that urban New Zealanders take for granted. 

Alternative solutions such as wireless or satellite broadband have come at an extra cost to individuals, and do not always deliver fast speeds or urban service levels.

“Yesterday’s announcement of $300 million for rural broadband rollout over the next six years is certainly a step in the right direction,” says RWNZ National President, Margaret Chapman.

However she warns that we should not see this as the final word on rural communities’ broadband aspirations.

While 94% of rural schools will receive fibre, enabling speeds of at least 100Mbps, 80% of rural households will have broadband speeds of 5Mbps, with 20% having to manage with 1Mbps.

“At the end of six years rural will still be playing ‘catch up’ with their urban counterparts who already have high speed broadband, and who are now set to upgrade to ultra-fast broadband thanks to further significant investment.

“The primary sector makes a key contribution to New Zealand’s economy and rural should be given broadband access relative to the contribution made,” says Ms Chapman. 

The importance of broadband investment is not just limited to primary production.

“86% of rural people are not directly involved in agriculture, and the social impacts of good broadband access should not be underestimated,” she says.

“Affordable, high speed internet helps overcome issues of isolation, improves schooling and other educational outcomes, is vital for growing and attracting rural businesses and encourages families and professionals such as doctors, nurses, vets and teachers to come to live in rural communities.”

Rural Women New Zealand noted the key role the internet played for the many businesses who entered its RWNZ Enterprising Rural Woman Award this year, in terms of research and development, online bookings, ordering supplies, filing tax returns, responding to customer enquiries and all the other myriad of tasks urban businesses take for granted.  But for many this came at an added cost.

“This latest investment in rural broadband is a good beginning, and most welcome.  But our aim is for equitable access to create a level playing field for all New Zealanders,” says Ms Chapman.

11 September 2009