Help us bid for faster broadband on the Coromandel

Our Council is putting in a bid for some of the $360 million that the Government has announced it will spend on improving broadband coverage around the country.

The money extends two programmes, the Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative (UFB) and the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), that have already helped improve internet speeds in parts of the country.

The only catch is we have to compete against councils from across the country to get a piece of the action.

This means putting together the best bid possible to explain to the Government exactly how the Coromandel will benefit from better broadband and which parts of the District would be best suited for further investment in new broadband infrastructure.

To help us with this, we're asking people to take a few minutes to fill out a survey about how fast their broadband connections are and how they would benefit from faster broadband.

We've got one survey for people who use the internet for business:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/tcdcbroadband

And another survey for individuals, community groups, schools, charities and everyone else:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/communitybroadband

You can test your broadband speed using www.speedtest.net or you can find other speed test web sites by searching "speed test".

The answers to the surveys you complete will feed into our detailed bid to obtain a slice of the Government's extra funding.

The Government is not only asking local authorities to indicate which areas should have priority and why but also to demonstrate that they are willing to support broadband rollouts in their areas.

You can help our Council's bid for faster, more reliable broadband by filling out these surveys. It'll only take a few minutes.

This information will go into the indicative bid due by 3 July.

Then, in September, a Digital Enablement Plan must be submitted that will show how the proposed upgrades will work with the community.

Infrastructure providers such as Chorus and Vodafone are also being asked to register their interest in participating in a tender process to deliver services under the three initiatives.

Business booster

We understand the importance of better broadband and we've been working actively to improve services - for example through a co-investment with Chorus to improve broadband speeds at the Kopu Business Park.

"Economic development is tied to technological innovation, so having fast broadband speeds on the Coromandel will help businesses, including people who work from home, as well as schools, charities and volunteer groups," says Ben Dunbar-Smith, Economic Development Programme Manager for Thames-Coromandel District Council.

"We're going through another technological revolution right now," he says. "This one is based on the internet and broadband.

"Broadband today is comparable to the railways and electrical power after they were introduced - an essential part of a successful economy. Councils are not responsible for installing broadband, just like they're not responsible for railways or electricity, but TCDC is doing everything it can to facilitate broadband upgrades wherever it can."

The plan

Here's what the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is doing:

They've announced between $152-$210 million more for the UFB initiative to increase the ratio of New Zealanders able to access fibre-optic cable technologies to at least 80%.

Thames and Whitianga are potential candidates for some of this money based on the methodology used in the original UFB roll-out. Other Coromandel towns could be identified as candidates for funding. But Council must make a strong case to beat out the nationwide competition.

For rural areas, the RBI is being extended to the tune of $100 million. This will provide enhanced broadband speeds over existing copper telephone wires and over the wireless network.

There is a further $50 million in a Mobile Black Spots Fund to extend mobile coverage on main highways and key tourist areas.

For more information on broadband in the Coromandel, go to www.tcdc.govt.nz/rbi

ends

© Scoop Media