Better internet

Franklin’s rural community is enjoying more broadband connections and faster internet speeds thanks to the Government’s Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI).

There are now 5698 broadband connections across the Franklin district, compared to 3577 before the RBI programme started. The average internet speed has increased by over 160 per cent across the region.

Under the RBI programme, Vodafone has built or upgraded 21 towers in Franklin, and Chorus has upgraded 162 lines in the wider Auckland region.

The Government has invested $300 million into RBI, enabling 300,000 rural households and businesses throughout New Zealand to access improved connectivity.

This is delivering better broadband to remote areas of New Zealand and helps bring real benefits to our region.

Faster broadband enables remote households to overcome isolation and helps them connect with their communities. It’s also revolutionising local agribusinesses by allowing companies and farmers to streamline their daily operations, and helps improve the way they promote their businesses.’’

RBI is being rolled out in conjunction with the Ultra-Fast Broadband programme, which is bringing better, faster broadband in towns like Pukekohe.

Together, these groundbreaking projects will bring improved internet to 97.8 per cent of New Zealanders by 2019. The Government continues to steam ahead with the broadband rollouts, reinforcing National’s commitment to supporting our rural communities.

Andrew Bayly is the MP for Hunua