Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

First local access network unveiled by consortium

Updated at 9:31 am on 28 November 2010

The Maori-backed consortium bidding for a share of the Government's $300 million to build an ultra-fast rural broadband network has unveiled its first local access network.

Anthony Royal, from Torotoro Waea, says about a dozen farms, businesses, homes and marae around Otaki are already connected to an open-access fibre-optic network around the town.

Waatea News reports that its design allows more sites to be connected quickly and cheaply.

Mr Royal says one of their partners, Te Wananga o Raukawa, is keen for marae to have the capacity for videoconferencing and other applications that need fast broadband.

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