Update - 22 June 2015
We thank everyone who completed the broadband survey. The survey is now closed.
The Whakatāne District Council is seeking community input via a simple survey to help secure some of the $360 million in Government funding available to extend its broadband initiatives and expand mobile coverage.
Earlier this year, central government announced an additional $152 to $210 million to extend Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) coverage, $100 million to extend Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) coverage, and $50 million to address mobile black spots in main highways and key tourist areas.
Local authorities interested in participating in the programmes have been invited to submit Registrations of Interest (ROI), which will require information about the area and a specific programme proposal, so that potential suppliers can formulate and submit bids. Whakatāne District Council has developed a survey for the public to complete, which will inform the ROI and allow it to gauge what the community’s current connection needs are, and what broadband services they may need in the future.
Council General Manager Strategy and Economic Development, Julie Gardyne, says the more we understand about the connectivity needs of our communities, the better the chance of developing a successful ROI. “We’ve tailored the survey to enable separate question streams for business, residential, and those without any connectivity,” she says. “We’re aware there are some big gaps in our District, so there are significant gains to be made if we are able to facilitate improved access to online services.”
Along with gathering information on broadband services, the survey will also seek to identify locations where mobile phone coverage could be improved throughout the District. “The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and will be available online through our website. Hard copies are also available and will be distributed through relevant networks in our more remote communities,” Ms Gardyne says.
A list of additional towns to receive fibre to premises, and the order of rollout, will be determined following a competitive bid process, which will take into account the cost of deployment, strength of consumer demand, and regulatory and other assistance from local authorities and their communities.