Press release:

 

Ensuring students have access to online learning,  Vocus partners with the Ministry of Education and LFCs

 

Vocus, through its Slingshot brand, and in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Local Fibre Companies, Chorus, Enable, Northpower and UFF will start connecting 10,000 homes to a free broadband service designed to give Kiwi kids without home broadband the ability to access online education.

 

“We are really proud to be able to help narrow the digital divide,” Mark Callander, Chief Executive Vocus New Zealand says. “We have an agreement to start with 10,000 homes over the coming weeks, and hopefully we can expand this over the coming months. The telco industry recognises the value of connecting low-income families to internet resources which include multiple free learning resources and have pooled together to make this happen.”

 

Chorus, Enable, Northpower and UFF will provide free line rental, and that, combined with Vocus’ ability to quickly source the necessary modems and connect these homes in the face of major supply chain disruptions, is what has made this programme possible, Callander says.