CallPlus offers schools 'uncapped broadband'

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CallPlus is offering "uncapped" broadband to schools that sign up to be served over fibre laid as a result of the ultrafast broadband (UFB) and rural broadband (RBI) initiatives, but there are some catches.

Its school fibre plans cost $130 a month for an "unlimited" 30 megabit-per-second shared-fibre broadband connection, plus installation. A "fair use" clause applies.  

The Government's intention in launching the UFB and RBI schemes was that schools would opt for dedicated fibre-optic connections providing speeds of at least 100Mbps. CallPlus is selling these for $280 a month and it is the only option for schools connected via the RBI.

Communications Minister Amy Adams told a select committee last month that only a small proportion of the 865 schools that could now connect to fibre had done do so. Most were waiting for the construction of the $300m to $400m Network for Learning that will be rolled out from "mid-next year", she said.

The secure, closed network will run over the UFB and RBI and will provide internet access on terms negotiated centrally by the Education Ministry.

"If [schools] sign up to a provider now, they will be signing up for a very short space of time," she said.

CallPlus general manger Kelvin Hussey said a quarter of schools used CallPlus as their internet provider. 

"For just $130 a month a school can get unlimited ultrafast internet over a fibre connection, online backup to disaster proof their data, a web domain and web hosting for their website, email to bulk SMS to easily keep in touch with parents, and two voice lines with low-cost calling options," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News