Rural New Zealand gets a taste of satellite broadband

IPSTAR has partnered with Reachnet to deliver IPSTAR retail satellite broadband to over 35,000 regional and rural homes across New Zealand.

Chris Ockwell is the general manager of Reachnet, her says the main focus on entering the New Zealand market is to connect rural and regional New Zealand to broadband via their satellite dishes.

"For many who already have existing satellites installed, through this partnership we have been able to offer an affordable bring your own equipment (BYOE) plan from $29 a month," he explains.

"Many rural homes are using patchy mobile broadband or don't have Internet access at all. We believe this package will be a game changer for many families, in particular farmers and business owners," adds Ockwell.

Reachnet will also offer complementary RBI plans as part of its portfolio of services. Reachnet is also currently creating the next generation services to deliver faster satellite connection speed for these regional areas.

"The first plans will run at 5Mbps and within approximately six months customers will have the option to upgrade to an increased speed of 25Mbps," he explains.

"The aim of this partnership is to make a difference for rural and regional New Zealanders. We believe everyone has a right to decent metro comparable broadband services.

Reachnet is a reseller of IPSTAR broadband services and IPSTAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thaicom, one of the largest satellite operators in Asia.