Media Release - Ultra-Fast Broadband

Good news - Rangitikei towns to receive Ultra-Fast Broadband.

Rangitikei District Council is very pleased with the Government’s announcement that ultra-fast broadband (UFB) will be available in Bulls, Marton and Taihape. Council has been campaigning over the last few years to have its main towns included in the broadband roll-out programme.

The Government yesterday announced that phase two of its UFB Rural Broadband Initiative programme will extend to an additional 151 towns and 43 suburban fringe areas, including Bulls, Marton and Taihape. Phase two will start in 2017 and be completed between 2018 and 2024.
UFB uses fibre-optic cables and can typically provide download speeds of up to 100 Mbps (megabits per second) and, in some areas, up to 1000 Mbps.
High speed internet is a key enabler for business and community outcomes, and is now generally accepted as the standard for home and business communication and connectivity. While our towns have always offered great lifestyle opportunities for young people, families and retirees, not having UFB connectivity is an impediment to people coming to live or set up business in the District. Having UFB in our main towns removes this barrier to business and social development across our communities.

Mayor Andy Watson said “This announcement is fantastic news for the Rangitikei District the lack of high speed broadband is a barrier for our farming and business community, having ultra-fast broadband going into all our main towns removes this barrier for all aspects of our communities. I’m pleased the Government has recognised this as being an important part of being able to live in a rural community.”