Broadband in schools

Benefits for schools

Schools a key priority

The government has identified schools as a key priority for connection to ultra-fast broadband.

The Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative combined with the Rural Broadband Initiative will see all state and state-integrated schools with significantly faster broadband by the end of June 2015.

Over the next five years, 97.7 percent of schools and 99.9 percent of students will receive ultra-fast broadband enabling speeds of 100 megabits per second.  The remaining schools, which are in the most remote locations, will receive a high speed wireless connection.

The technology means students anywhere in New Zealand will be able to access the best teachers and online resources such as public libraries.

It will also address concerns that rural schools in areas without quality broadband may struggle to attract teachers because of the difficulty of accessing professional development and ongoing learning opportunities.

Schools around the country are also having their internal networks upgraded through the Ministry of Education's School Network Upgrade Project, which is being progressively rolled out so they can make best use of faster broadband.

The government has allocated $28.2 million to allow state and state-integrated schools to connect to new fibre networks by funding the connection from the school boundary into the school.

This ensures that schools can access new networks and quickly deliver the benefits of ultra-fast broadband to students.

The connection of schools to fibre in the street will be fully funded for state and state-integrated schools under the roll out.