PROBE wins TUANZ Innovation supreme award

Project PROBE received the TUANZ Telecommunications Project of the Year Award for 2005 and also the 'supreme award' from all 10 category winners, the TUANZ Telecommunications Innovation Award.

Project PROBE aimed to boost broadband access for rural and remote areas by ensuring that all 2400 schools can access broadband.  One hundred percent coverage of schools was chosen as a target because it was estimated that if the communities surrounding every school could access broadband, broadband coverage in New Zealand would be boosted from an estimated 72% coverage of households (at the beginning of 2004) to over 94% (current). 

PROBE, a joint MED and Ministry of Education project, had a budget of just under $50 million and was aimed at reducing the commercial risk to telecommunications providers of supplying broadband access to remote communities.  MED was involved because broadband access is recognised as being one of the single most important factors in developing regional economies and social cohesion.

Members of MED's IT and Telecommunications Policy Group attended the TUANZ Innovation Awards in Auckland on August 25, picking up the two awards on behalf of Project PROBE.

The Broadband Challenge fund established as part of the Digital Strategy incorporates a PROBE Extension component which is intended to assist communities which are still under-served in terms of broadband access.

For more information on the Broadband Challenge fund see www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz.

Published: 21.09.2005 by MED