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Is SouthNET planning to introduce the Wi-Fi broadband wireless Internet service in rural Southland and Otago towns?
Thank you for your request for information concerning high-speed Internet services for rural Southland and Otago.
SouthNET's "always-on" Wi-Fi
wireless Internet service in Invercargill was launched in September and made available to clients in late October.
That was the first stage of our Southland-Otago High-Speed Internet Services Demand Aggregation Plan.
Stage two of the plan is the roll out of the SouthNET Wi-Fi Internet service in rural Southland and Otago.
By definition, our rural wireless project is demand driven. The more people / businesses /
schools / councils that sign up for the service in any given location, the more economically viable it becomes and the sooner we intend to make it available.
For more detailed information about the
Southland-Otago Broadband Demand Demand Aggregation Plan, please see our 20-Aug-01 Press Release as an Adobe PDF, which will provide the background and goals of the project and the 18-Sep-01 Press Release concerning the Invest South - SouthNET alliance.
Various background New Zealand press articles are available here...
In metro Invercargill, there is one Wi-Fi service plan, the Wi-Fi 800 account, which costs $79.95 + GST per month, including 800 megabytes of traffic, with each
additional megabyte of traffic charged at $ 0.10 + GST (ten cents).
In rural Southland and Otago, there is an "establishment" Wi-Fi plan, the Wi-Fi 2000 Rural Plan, which costs $ 199.95 + GST per month, including
2000 megabytes of traffic, with each additional megabyte of traffic charged at $ 0.10 + GST (ten cents).
Provision of the SouthNET WI-Fi service in any rural location in Southland and Otago will be dependant on
demand. In a nutshell, as soon as we have 20 (twenty) confirmed clients in a given location who have committed to the SouthNET Wi-Fi 2000 Rural Plan, we will start the wheels turning for evaluation of feasibility of
providing the service.
Additional considerations such as topography, demographics, availability of Dedicated Data Services circuits from Telecom, etc. may also factor into the decision making process governing
whether and when any single rural location may receive the service.
The SouthNET Wi-Fi 2000 Rural Plan is similar to the Wi-Fi 800 Plan, except that the first 20 clients in that rural region are committing
to 2 gigabytes of traffic per month (2000 megs) with additional megabyte traffic charged at the ten cents per meg fee, for a minimum contract period of 12 months. The Wi-Fi 2000 plan also includes 10 free dial-in hours
per month and the other standard Wi-Fi 800 features, mail pop accts, etc.. After having established a SouthNET Wi-Fi rural broadcast location, the standard Wi-Fi 800 plan will be made available to potential new clients
in the location.
As described in the attached literature, this is a district-wide plan. The more people participating, the greater a success it should become and the more affordable broadband should become ov er
time as our buying clout increases.
Please feel free to share the SouthNET Wi-Fi 2000 Rural Plan with people, businesses, schools, government agencies and organizations in your rural area who might be
interested in receiving the WI-Fi Internet service.
As of 24-Oct-01, we have received serious indications of interest in the rural service to evaluate optimal broadcast locations in two rural centres.
We
trust this is of assistance and thank you for your support for this exciting Southland - Otago project.
South Net Ltd.
South Net Ltd. is a 100% Southland, New Zealand Owned & Operated Business
E-mail: wi-fi@southnet.co.nz
www.southnet.co.nz
Phone: 03-214-6136
Fax: 64-3-214-6928 |
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