Rural Broadband in 2022

[7 Minute Read] 

The State of Rural Broadband in New Zealand

Rural folk enjoy the good things in life. It's why you live where you do. Fresh air, big sky, all the beauty nature has to offer and acres of peace and quiet.

There's no rush hour because time moves a bit slower in the country – and you like it that way – but that's no reason why you should have to put up with slow broadband or even no broadband at all.

Contents

 

The Backbone of New Zealand Has Been Left Behind

The reality is that our rural families and businesses – our farmers, agritech businesses, exporters, importers, conservationists, manufacturing or food processing to name just a few – are the people that feed and clothe New Zealand. Opportunities to connect, grow, socialise, heal and learn should not be put on hold because somebody somewhere has decided that rural broadband is too hard.

 

Rural New Zealanders Without Broadband Connectivity

Living in rural New Zealand should not mean that you have to live with the frustration of ‘no signal’, ‘no reach’ and ‘no Internet’ because the technology does exist to change it. Every Kiwi living in New Zealand – from Tararua to Lake Paringa and even the Chatham Islands – can have affordable and reliable broadband.

 

Government Led Rural Broadband is a Long Way off For Many

In 2017, about 90,000 rural families and business couldn't get reasonable broadband speeds (a minimum of 20 Mbps download). In April 2020 the Government's RBI2 programme announced it aims to reduce that number “as much as possible” and let’s face it, that’s going to take years to roll out. Even once that’s done, there could still  be up to 40,000 families left out in the dark. 

Even for many who do have rural broadband, it isn't always affordable or enough data to suit the situation. For example, the decision to have the Rugby World Cup streamed in 2019 meant it was probably cheaper for some families to travel to Japan to watch the world cup than to stream the tournament live.  Let's not forget the potential for hundreds and even thousands of dollars in data overage penalties – those extra fees you have to pay when you go over your monthly plan limit on data. 

In essence:

  • Up to 40,000 Kiwi families may not have access to fast, unlimited, affordable broadband in the coming years
  • Some families are paying through the nose for restrictive data plans
  • Overage penalties for going over their data limit are expensive
  • Many rural broadband users will continue to struggle with slow Internet

 

How to Get Better Internet in Forgotten Rural Areas

Due to the remoteness of many rural homes they are forced to go without the broadband essentials like online banking, eCommerce and video calling. This has now all changed.

Gravity was launched to change what’s possible for the forgotten backbone of New Zealand.

The company's founders and shareholders knew that they could get all of New Zealand connected – even the so-called blackspots – with a bit of intention, a genuine desire to help and some cutting-edge technology.  And so Gravity Internet was founded, with the mission to connect the unconnected.

 

Thanks to Gravity, Every Kiwi Can Now Access The Internet

Thanks to Gravity's Satellite Internet technology and unlimited data plans, Gravity has been able to solve many issues, including assisting regional growth by connecting marae, clinics, dairy farms and small businesses to the world. The result is that your days of frustration and neglect are over. YES, Gravity Internet can connect you to the Internet via satellite no matter how rural or remote your location.

access the internet from anywhere in New Zealand with Satellite Internet

In fact, Gravity provides a “Yes” to all kinds of Kiwis. We deliver:

  • Internet for farmers all over New Zealand
  • Broadband connections for cowsheds
  • 24/7 Internet connectivity for security companies
  • Casual Internet plans for remote lifestyle blocks
  • Broadband for all sorts of beach baches
  • Internet connections for people living off-the-grid

 

Satellite Internet is a Game Changer for Rural New Zealand

Here at Gravity, we have next-generation satellites orbiting space above you, right now. Satellites that are standing by to deliver unlimited Internet directly to you, instantly. Right now you can get Internet that is:

  • Affordable
  • Fast
  • Reliable
  • Unlimited

A stable rural broadband connection means that children can access Google to do research for projects, complete homework and learn remotely. Kiwis living in so-called “rural Internet blackspots” can now catch up with family and friends on social media, watch Netflix or YouTube and run a business (or two) no matter where in the wop wops they live.

If you're one of the many rural Kiwis forced to wait until you can make a trip into town or if you have to find a spot at the top of a nearby hill that gets a cell phone signal, Gravity can help. Rural living today does not mean that you have to put up with being unconnected or having to make do with a sketchy service that challenges your patience daily.

 

So Why Are Other Internet Providers Still Telling You ‘No’?

Like thousands of households New Zealand wide, you may have been told that you can't have 'Fibre', 'Cable', 'VDSL', 'Wireless' or 'ADSL' – but nobody said anything about satellite.

Satellite broadband is not talked about by most Internet Services Providers (ISPs) because they don't sell the products. Many ISPs would rather say 'no, you can't get Internet' than confess they don't supply it. 

Another reason people may avoid the topic is because until recent times people thought that satellite was extremely expensive, limited by location and not suitable for activities like streaming and video conferencing. 

  

Satellite Internet Has Broadband Coverage Everywhere

Gravity's satellite broadband is available in virtually every corner of New Zealand. Services are set up to deliver affordable, faster satellite broadband to remote rural communities.

New Zealand internet connection types - fibre, adsl, vdsl, 4G, Wireless and satellite

Gravity is one of the only Satellite Internet providers to offer unlimited Internet for rural/remote people who cannot get ADSL, VDSL, Fibre or 4G wireless. The days of hoping and dreaming for faster, more reliable broadband are now over. 

 

How Satellite Internet Gets Delivered to You

Gravity provides your Internet connection using next-generation, high-throughput satellites (HTS) designed to deliver broadband to remote locations. The satellites, which are in geostationary orbit, transmit to state-of-the-art stations called gateways. The gateways, in turn, enable rural Kiwis to access affordable, high-speed broadband.

Satellite Internet bypasses the infrastructure of traditional terrestrial (ground-based) broadband products which require, copper, fibre or nearby cell towers to connect your property to a communications grid. Some New Zealanders are just too remote for ISPs to invest in the necessary ground infrastructure but with Gravity you don’t have to worry.

 

So Can I Get Satellite Internet Where I Live?

If you or someone you know has been living without internet and are wondering “can I get internet where I live yet?” the answer (thanks to Satellite Internet) is YES! With the new, high-powered satellite's that Gravity employs – designed and optimised for broadband – rural Kiwis can now enjoy fast Satellite Internet that is cheaper than has ever been available before.

can I get internet where i live

Yes, Satellite Internet can deliver high speed internet to you, even if you:

  • Aren’t covered by 4G Broadband
  • Live out of range of Wireless Internet
  • Have to wait years for RBI to roll out

 

But First You’ll Need a Satellite Internet Dish

Once you have selected your satellite broadband plan, Gravity's technicians will install a 1.2-metre dish on your property. Designed to work in rural conditions, the connection can even be solar-powered. You get:

  • A dedicated satellite dish (different from Sky TV dishes because Satellite Internet both receives and sends a signal. Satellite TV only receives).
  • A specialised satellite modem.
  • Professional Installation (approx. 4 hours).
  • Wiring to your modem.
  • WiFi router and router setup.

 

What Can I Do on a Gravity’s Satellite Broadband Connection?

Gravity's Internet is fast enough for you to do almost everything you want to do on the Internet! Depending on your needs and the size of your household, Gravity can offer speeds of between 5Mbps – good for browsing – to 30Mbps, which allows you to run multiple devices, browse the internet, send emails, do internet banking, watch YouTube and stream Netflix.

 use satellite internet to stream shows, movies and music

Recently one of our farming customers from Central Otago, almost in tears, phoned to tell us that after enduring a dial-up connection for nearly two decades, he had for the first time the data and speeds he needed to watch a "How-to" video on YouTube. As a result, he was able to view a video on how to fix his ageing tractor to work correctly again.

Like the customer from Central Otago, people living remote and rural can now get good quality Internet through Gravity Internet plans. You don't have to wait for fibre to turn up on your road. You don't have to spend vast amounts of money on dial-up and slow, restrictive Internet plans and you don't have to put up with driving to the top of the nearest hill to get a signal.

 

In conclusion, be assured that: 

  • Satellite broadband is a viable rural Internet connection source. 
  • Satellite broadband is fast enough to let you do what you do on other broadband connection types.
  • It doesn't matter how remote you are, you can get Satellite Internet.

 

gravity internet connects the unconnected