6. LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) Link to this
to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology
What benefits will ultra-fast broadband services bring to education in New Zealand?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Communications and Information Technology) Link to this
Ultra-fast broadband to schools will transform the education system, making New Zealand school networks among the most wired in the world. It will enable schools to significantly enhance teaching practices, improve student engagement, and lift achievement. More than a third of all State and State-integrated schools will be fibre-ready by the end of this year, with all State and State-integrated schools given a broadband boost by 2016. This technology means that students anywhere in New Zealand can have instant access to the best teachers and online resources from anywhere in the world, and this Government is proud of its investment in this network for education.
Ninety-seven percent of schools will receive ultra-fast fibre, enabling speeds of 100 or more megabits per second. The remaining 3 percent of schools, in the most remote locations, will receive a high-speed wireless or satellite connection. The Government is investing an additional $150 million to prepare the sector for the roll-out. This includes $28 million to pay for the drop costs to get fibre from the street into school buildings. The Ministry of Education School Network Upgrade Project is progressively upgrading the internal networks of State and State-integrated schools in readiness for fibre.
Clare CurranWhat formal analysis has been carried out on the extra cost of delivering broadband under the separate procurement activity and remote schools rural initiative to the 361 schools not covered by his existing urban and rural broadband fibre schemes?
The rural broadband request for information looked at that issue and came up with the fact that around $15 million would adequately cover both of those parts. As I have said to the member previously, we are confident that the additional schools between the urban and zone 4 footprints, plus the remote schools, will be successfully linked using that extra $15 million.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Why is it proposed to charge those schools that receive the 100 megabit connections four times the amount of the other schools, when there is no extra cost to Telecom to turn the tap on full?
Again, I am sorry; I have no idea where the member is coming from. I can tell the member that neither does he. I think somebody handed him a question at the last minute.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. One issue was the nature of the answer. Secondly, you know, but I am not sure that that member does, that members cannot be required to ask questions on behalf of others in the way that was implied there.
Mr SPEAKERCertainly, the last part of the member’s point of order had some merit to it; no member should imply that. But, obviously, when a member makes an assertion in a question in the way that the member did about costs, a Minister can dispute that. The Minister is entitled to do that, but perhaps should do it in a slightly less provocative way.
I can tell the member that the schools are getting a particularly good deal for broadband in schools. I will give him two examples. Firstly, the school upgrades—the School Network Upgrade Project upgrades—are being paid for in partnership with the Crown. The Crown is paying 80 percent of that cost. Also, the drop costs are being paid for centrally, as well. There will be some cost to schools for their regular, ongoing reception of data and for data going out, but it is very inexpensive compared with a commercial alternative.
I seek leave to table a letter dated 27 May from the Hon Steven Joyce to InternetNZ, Federated Farmers, and the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand, explaining the procurement activity for 303 schools and for the 58 schools that will be part of the remote schools rural initiative.