Broadband move welcomed

The cows might not be too bothered, but Michelle Thompson is thrilled that rural broadband is to be expanded.

Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHAANZ) chief executive Michelle Thompson said last week she was "absolutely thrilled" that Vodafone, Spark and 2degrees were joining forces to extend rural broadband.

It was heartening, she said, that the three companies were working together for the common good and benefit of rural people and isolated communities.

The companies had submitted a joint proposal to build and share 520 new cellphone towers to provide 4G mobile and home broadband and cellphone services to rural areas, increasing national mobile services coverage by 25 per cent, and another 1200km of state highway.

Ms Thompson said rural people needed excellent access to modern communication systems, which would improve access to health and social services, enhance their rural lifestyles and enable rural business communities to be profitable.

"Rural communities depend on reliable, and high-quality broadband and mobile connectivity to operate productive businesses, attract and retain employees, maintain social connections and increase access to high-quality health and social services," she said.

"Rural New Zealand has black spots that are risking lives and livelihoods, and also posing a serious safety hazard for tourists, residents and migrant workers as they travel around remote, isolated areas.

"It's election year, and we want the Government to promise us that all rural medical facilities will be connected to fibre-like speeds by 2019. We want to have multiple carrier mobile coverage on all state highways by 2019. We want 99 per cent of the population with more than 50Mbps by 2020 rather than 2025.

"It's not much to ask, and we pay taxes, just as people in cities do."

Rural New Zealand had a population equivalent to the country's second-largest city, Ms Thompson said, and rural people lived and dealt with endless pressures from all aspects of rural life.

Fluctuating international markets, increased business and environmental compliance requirements, dramatic weather and climatic events, increased financial and personal costs of accessing education and poorer access to health and social services all took a toll on the wellbeing and vibrancy of rural New Zealand.

"For years, government, agribusiness and industry corporates have made decisions about the viability of their services in rural New Zealand. The resulting gradual decline in many rural health, social, education and agribusiness services has eroded the social and commercial structure of rural New Zealand," she added.

"Better connectivity will be safer and more productive for everyone in remote rural areas."