Thank you for your email to the Ministry of Education.  
This is an auto generated response confirming your email has been received.
Please do not respond to this message.  
The Ministry of Education is closed for the holiday period between the
25^th of December and 4^th of January.
  
We will respond to your email as soon as possible on our return.   
Happy Holidays!
Tēnā koe mō tō īmēra mai ki te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.  
  
He urupare aunoa tēnei hei whakaatu kua tae mai tō īmēra
ki a mātou. Kaua noa e whakautu i tēnei karere.  
  
Mea ake nei ka urupare tonu atu mātou ki tō īmēra. 

  

show quoted sections

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Kia ora Sam

Thank you for the information request below. The Ministry will consider and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request on or before 13 February 2026. If more than 20 working days are needed due to the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your request, we will notify you accordingly.

Please note, the days between 25 December – 15 January (inclusive) are not considered to be “working days” for the purposes of calculating the 20 working day timeframe for providing a response under the Act.

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email [email address].

Ngâ mihi

Enquiries National Team | Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga | Ministry of Education | IB
National Office, 1 The Terrace, Wellington

education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

show quoted sections

[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Kia ora

 

Please see attached regarding your Official Information Act request.

 

Ngā mihi

 

 

Official and Parliamentary Information | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga |
Ministry of Education | KJ

1 The Terrace, Wellington

[1]education.govt.nz

 

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[2][IMG]

 

 

 

show quoted sections

[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tēnā koe Sam

 

Thank you for your email of 8 January 2026 to the Ministry of Education
(the Ministry) requesting information relating to rural student
connectivity, digital equity, and educational service continuity.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act), and our response is set out below.

 

 1. Current policies, funding, or support programmes for rural school
internet connectivity, including:

 a. Funding formulas or additional support for rural schools facing
higher connectivity costs
 b. Whether schools receive guidance or direction regarding
connectivity provider selection
 c. Any assessment of connectivity adequacy at rural schools compared
to urban schools

 

All state and state-integrated schools are eligible for a fully funded
connection to Network for Learning (N4L)’s Managed Network. This
centrally-funded service provides internet connectivity, network
filtering, cybersecurity protections and support services, at no cost to
schools. Approximately 95% of schools receive a 1 Gbps fibre connection
where fibre is available.

 

For schools in remote locations where fibre or reliable terrestrial
broadband is not available, the Ministry funds alternative connectivity
solutions. Recently, N4L upgraded 36 small and rural schools to satellite
services to improve reliability. In 2023, the Satellite for Schools
programme was launched, providing Starlink technology to eligible rural
and isolated schools and kura. Installation and connection were delivered
by N4L and 2degrees, with the Ministry fully funding both connectivity and
associated Internet Safety & Security Services.

 

Schools are not required to select their own connectivity provider for
core school internet. Participation in the centrally-funded Managed
Network removes cost pressures that would otherwise fall disproportionally
on rural schools.

 

The Ministry and N4L maintain ongoing oversight of school network
performance across the sector. Through initiatives such as Te Mana Tūhono
(school campus wifi upgrades) and cybersecurity uplift, they identify
schools requiring infrastructure improvements, including those in rural
areas. While the Ministry does not produce a standalone rural-versus-urban
adequacy assessment, these monitoring processes ensure that connectivity
needs, including those of rural schools, are identified and addressed,
specifically aiming to close any connectivity gap between rural and urban
schools.

 

 2. Any analysis of digital equity impacts where rural students depend on
home internet connectivity for:

 a. Distance learning or online course participation
 b. Homework completion and access to educational resources
 c. Assessment or examination platforms requiring reliable internet
 d. Whether connectivity cost, reliability, or quality creates
educational disadvantage for rural students

 

The Ministry and N4L only provide and manage school-based internet
connections. Neither the Ministry nor N4L holds visibility into students’
home internet connectivity, usage, reliability, or costs. As a result, the
Ministry does not hold analysis on the digital equity impacts of home
connectivity on distance learning, homework completion, assessment
platforms, or other out-of-school learning activities. We are therefore
refusing this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act, as the
information requested is not held by the Ministry, and we have no grounds
to believe that it is either held by, or connected closely with the
functions of, another department or organisation subject to the Act.

 

 3. Any advice to Ministers regarding whether current rural connectivity
policies adequately support educational outcomes and digital equity
objectives, including:

 a. Whether all rural students have access to connectivity suitable
for educational requirements
 b. Cost barriers families face in obtaining adequate home internet
 c. Educational impact of connectivity gaps or service quality
differences between urban and rural areas

 

The Ministry provides all rural state and state-integrated schools with
fully-funded, centrally-managed connectivity through N4L, which is
designed to meet the digital and online learning requirements of schools
across New Zealand.

 

The Ministry does not hold any analysis comparing the connectivity
suitability of rural and urban schools, nor any advice to Ministers on
this matter. The Ministry does not collect information on home internet
access or cost barriers for families, so does not hold advice to Ministers
on the educational impact of home connectivity gaps or differences between
rural and urban learners.

 

We are therefore refusing this part of your request under section 18(e) of
the Act, as the information requested does not exist.

 

 4. Any assessment of educational continuity risks in isolated rural areas
where:

 a. Schools, students' homes, local businesses, and supporting
infrastructure (including cellular towers) depend on a single
connectivity provider or technology platform
 b. Traditional terrestrial communications infrastructure (such as
copper lines) has been withdrawn or decommissioned, eliminating
backup connectivity options
 c. A single-point-of-failure scenario exists where disruption to one
provider would simultaneously affect school operations, students'
home learning capability, teachers' home connectivity, and
community support infrastructure
 d. Whether education planning includes contingency arrangements for
scenarios where primary connectivity becomes unavailable in
communities with no alternative infrastructure

 

The Ministry would only hold information relevant to this part of your
request from a school perspective. The Ministry does not hold assessments
related to community-wide connectivity dependency in rural areas,
including reliance on a single provider or technology platform, the
withdrawal of terrestrial infrastructure such as copper, or
single-point-of-failure scenarios affecting schools, households, or local
businesses. In our extension letter to you on 13 February 2026, we advised
that we were in the process of consulting with the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment (MBIE) about the possible transfer of parts four
and seven of your request, as we believed that this information was more
closely connected with MBIE’s functions. However, MBIE did not accept our
request to transfer, so you may wish to direct these parts of your request
to MBIE directly. This part of your request is therefore refused under
section 18(e) of the Act, as the information requested does not exist
within the Ministry’s records.

 

 5. Data or analysis on:

 a. Rural schools' connectivity costs compared to urban schools
 b. Student completion rates or participation rates for online
learning in rural versus urban areas
 c. Teacher or principal feedback regarding connectivity as barrier
to educational delivery
 d. Any correlation between connectivity adequacy and educational
outcomes in rural contexts
 e. Schools or communities identified as having single-provider
dependency with no terrestrial backup options

 

The Ministry does not hold data comparing rural and urban school
connectivity costs, student participation in online learning, teacher or
principal feedback on connectivity as a barrier to delivery, correlations
between connectivity adequacy and education outcomes, or information
identifying schools or communities with single-provider dependency. We are
therefore also refusing this part of your request under section 18(e) of
the Act, as above.

 

 6. Any assessment of educational risks if rural connectivity market
structure changes result in:

 a. Reduced provider choice or competition, limiting families'
options
 b. Price increases affecting family affordability of adequate
educational connectivity
 c. Service quality concerns affecting real-time video learning,
assessment platforms, or cloud-based educational resources
 d. Elimination of terrestrial alternatives, creating sole dependency
on satellite or single-technology solutions

 

The Ministry does not hold information assessing risks related to changes
in rural telecommunications markets, including reduced provider choice,
increased household connectivity costs, service quality concerns affecting
online learning, or transitions to single-technology solutions. The
Ministry has no involvement in or visibility into students’ home internet
connectivity. This part of your request is therefore also refused under
section 18(g) of the Act, as above.

 

 7. Any advice or planning documents regarding educational service
delivery resilience when connectivity infrastructure diversity
(multiple providers, multiple technology types) is reduced or
eliminated in rural communities.

 

Please refer to our response to part four of your request, above.

 

Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to
review my decision on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the
Act. You can do this by writing to [1][email address] or to
Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

  

Nāku noa, nā,

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | ED

[2]education.govt.nz

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ōna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[3][IMG]

 

show quoted sections