Tūhoe Education Authority

Tūhoe Online was set up in 2006 by the Tūhoe Education Authority to manage and extend its WIFI network for the Tūhoe tribal area - a sparsely populated region of 5000 square kilometres, including the Urewera National Park.

Josie completed her Bachelor of Teaching hooked up to wireless broadband in remote Urewera country, and today she teaches information and communication technology at a small school serviced by the same network.  "Dialup for assignments and research and forums used to be a nightmare," she says of her study towards her Waikato University degree.  "I couldn't send or receive large files and it's a real challenge to stay motivated when you fail a couple of papers because of insufficient online participation."  Today Josie is Deputy Principal at the Te Whāiti School - on the edge of the Urewera National Park.  "The kids just love learning on their computers," she says.  Fast broadband at home also involves families in their children's homework and education.

Ngāwaiata is another student using the network.  "We live on whānau land and when we built our own home in 2008 there was no phone service, but we had line of sight to one of the Tūhoe networks towers," she says.  "I've been hooked up for almost two years now."  At this stage Ngāwaiata is two papers into a planned Masters Degree and has also set up a part-time online language consultancy business which has brought her a small contract.  "With two small children to care for, Tūhoe.com gives me the flexibility to study and work full-time from home." She does her research and communicates with lecturers and students from her laptop.  "I submit my assignments online and ontime!"

Much of the Tūhoe region is part of the 3% of rural New Zealand that falls outside the Government's rural broadband initiative, and commercial operators are unwilling to service the rugged region.  So far 23 Tūhoe Online solar and wind powered towers supply wireless broadband to 9 out of 14 schools in the region and almost 100 households, farmers and businesses.  20 more towers are needed to provide full coverage to 90% of the population at affordable rates.  The object is to help remove disparities in education, qualifications, income and employment and to build Tūhoe identity.