Eyes on the sky for broadband contract

By PETER GRIFFIN

A fifteenth "region" covering the country has been added to the Government's rural broadband initiative, targeting satellite operators who can extend high-speed internet access to outlying schools and their communities.

Satellite operators Optus, PanAmSat, Intelsat, New Skies, Gilat and Hughes are expected to respond to a request for proposal being issued by the Government and planned to cover from 150 to 300 schools.

Some of the operators already have small commercial services running in New Zealand.

Optus launched a nationwide wireless broadband service earlier this year, though customer take-up is believed to have been low. Its satellites also provide the international feed for Sky TV's programming.

Intelsat has several satellites over New Zealand and New Skies' involvement could hinge on delayed plans to shift a satellite positioned over the Atlantic to cover the Pacific.

PanAmSat has a satellite covering the region but its Porirua-based partner, Linkworks (with which PanAmSat has teamed to provide a bandwidth on-demand service to New Zealand and Australia) is not interested in the broadband initiative (known as Probe).

"It's a long haul to get these projects through and at this time we thought our energies were better put elsewhere," Linkworks spokesman Don Peat said.

Linkworks is acquiring a site in Wellington to build an earth station, including a 4.5m satellite dish and control hub.

Those vendors responding to the request for proposal being issued by the Government will need to be able to deliver satellite-based systems that can supply symmetrical bandwidth at a minimum speed of 64Kbps, or slightly better than dial-up internet.

But a "bandwidth on demand" option will have to be provided and allow for speeds up to 384Kbps for videoconferencing.

"You could tell a service provider you only want that sort of bandwidth for a couple of hours a day and they will provide it because it makes better use of the satellite capacity," said Probe project director Tony Van Horik.

The chosen vendor may have to establish a satellite earth station to secure the tender.

"We will state a preference for a New Zealand-based satellite hub station," a letter to parties interested in the project said.

"We have relaxed latency and availability from the request for information also to suit satellite operations."

Those vendors responding to Probe tender proposals in other regions will be asked which communities they think are best served by satellite.

Region 15 will probably involve a single tender spanning the country, a structure Probe critics believe the Government should have adopted for the other regions.

The Government last week extended the tender date for the initiative, citing"unexpectedly high interest".

However one key player in the regional tendering process said the Government was slowing the process to ensure mistakes were not made in what was becoming an increasingly "political" process.

The next Probe tender winner will be announced on December 20 when the Far North decides which vendors it will go with. Telecom/BCL, Vodafone/Walker Wireless and UCC have been shortlisted in the region.

Recently Telecom executives went north to try to convince the local community that Telecom was committed to the area.

Chief operating officer Simon Moutter accused an audience of having an "ABT" ("Anyone but Telecom") attitude to the tendering, but received assurances that Telecom's bid was being taken seriously.