Govt Celebrates Milestone with 500th Rural Connectivity Tower in Anawhata

"Rural, rugged, and remote, like many of the 500 towers delivered, RCG worked alongside community stakeholders to deliver better connectivity for Anawhata and the wider community," Goldsmith said.

The Government has celebrated a major milestone in rural connectivity with the official opening of the 500th Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) mobile tower in Anawhata, Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith announced today.

"Rural, rugged, and remote, like many of the 500 towers delivered, RCG worked alongside community stakeholders to deliver better connectivity for Anawhata and the wider community," Goldsmith said.

These towers have provided enhanced broadband access to over 34,000 homes and mobile phone services to nearly 1,500 kilometers of state highways, as well as numerous tourism locations.

"The community was severely impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, so this new site provides extra resilience for communication during future weather events," Goldsmith added.

The Government remains committed to delivering better public services, and this type of infrastructure is crucial for those living and operating businesses in rural communities.

The Anawhata tower site features 30 solar panels and a backup power generator, ensuring connectivity during outages.

The Rural Connectivity Group is to be congratulated for their work, serving as an excellent example of the benefits of government partnering with the private sector to improve the lives of New Zealanders.

The comprehensive Rural Broadband and Mobile Black Spots program, which includes commercial and Wireless Internet Service Provider coverage, has delivered essential broadband and mobile services to rural homes and businesses across all regions of New Zealand.

A total of 1,481 kilometers of state highway have gained mobile coverage, enhancing safety on some of the country's most dangerous roads, while 159 tourism spots now have mobile coverage.

Furthermore, 84,300 rural homes and businesses now have access to new or improved broadband under the Rural Broadband program.