About The Rural Connectivity Group
The RCG is funded by Government and New Zealand’s three service providers Spark, Vodafone and 2Degrees. The RCG is tasked with building a telecommunications network across rural New Zealand (over 500 cell sites) as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative Phase 2 (RBI2) and Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF). The sites The RCG build will deliver 4G wireless broadband and voice calling (VoLTE) services to areas with no coverage or poor coverage. Once complete by December 2023, RCG will connect over 30,000 homes and businesses and provide voice calling services to at least 1000km of state highway and over 100 tourist locations.
The RCG will build 11 cell sites across the Hurunui District delivering 4G wireless broadband and voice calling services to:
- Over 730 homes and businesses
- Nearly 40KM of state highway
- 4 tourist locations
The RCG has already built and livened three sites delivering digital connectivity to Teviotdale, Pyramid Valley and Domett. The remaining sites are located at Poplars Ridge, Marble Point, Poplars Range, Inland Road, Lyford South, Port Robinson (to cover Gore Bay), St James Trail, Lyford and Mt Grey.
Under the Government funded RBI2 programme (https://www.crowninfrastructure.govt.nz/rural/what/ ) the Gore Bay township and surrounding area has been selected as an area that will benefit from the infrastructure to bring 4G wireless broadband and voice calling services to homes and businesses locally. RCG has identified the Gore Bay site will bring wireless broadband and voice calling coverage to approximately 100 residents, businesses, and visitors of the wider Gore Bay area, provide improved resiliency in emergency situations, and will allow for future telecommunications upgrades should they be required.
RCG’s team of experts have spent some considerable time scoping and assessing the wider Gore Bay/Port Robinson area to reach a final site location to build a cell site facility of which the Port Robinson Coastal Reserve was selected as the location for the site. The site will sit near to an existing Wireless Internet Service Providers pole (WISP – Amuri net). Below is a map of the coverage RCG’s technical team predicts the township will benefit from once the RCG site is livened.
Map identifying the coverage RCG’s technical team predicts the township will benefit from once the RCG site is livened:
