Trans-Tasman telecommunications company Lightwire is proud to be a new partner of Crown Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) Rural Broadband Initiative Phase Two (RBI2), providing significant additional rural broadband coverage across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regions.
This phase of the Initiative will take coverage to 99.8% of New Zealand’s population, bringing innumerable benefits to Lightwire’s rural communities.
“We’re thrilled that Lightwire has been announced as a successful partner in the RBI2,” says Andrew Johnson, Managing Director.
“Lightwire owns and operates a significant fixed wireless network in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions and we’re honoured to be playing a role in an integral part of New Zealand’s broadband milestone.”
Phase two of the RBI2/Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF) is planned to roll out over the next four years and will not only affect households and businesses, but also marae and tourism sites.
Implementation of the initiative will aim to enhance broadband coverage in Waikato and Bay of Plenty to an extra 1,990 households and businesses, as well as 20 maraes. Seventy-four kilometres of state highways and three tourism sites will receive new cellular mobile coverage, with a total of $25 million committed to funding the project.
“Lightwire has been pioneering rural broadband since 2002, innovating wireless technology and implementing solutions where there previously were none,” says Johnson.
“By partnering with CIP on its enhancement of rural broadband connectivity infrastructure, we’re continuing our mission of enhancing wireless networks in our valued rural communities.”
The RBI2/MBSF expansion programme, managed by CIP and implemented by 18 partners throughout New Zealand, aims to bring broadband and mobile coverage to an additional 10,000 households and businesses by 2023.
