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[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

-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Brown <[FOI #33466 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 8 January 2026 6:43 pm
To: Enquiries National <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Rural student connectivity, digital equity, and educational service continuity

[You don't often get email from [FOI #33466 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear Ministry of Education,

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request:

1. Current policies, funding, or support programmes for rural school internet connectivity, including:
- Funding formulas or additional support for rural schools facing higher connectivity costs
- Whether schools receive guidance or direction regarding connectivity provider selection
- Any assessment of connectivity adequacy at rural schools compared to urban schools

2. Any analysis of digital equity impacts where rural students depend on home internet connectivity for:
- Distance learning or online course participation
- Homework completion and access to educational resources
- Assessment or examination platforms requiring reliable internet
- Whether connectivity cost, reliability, or quality creates educational disadvantage for rural students

3. Any advice to Ministers regarding whether current rural connectivity policies adequately support educational outcomes and digital equity objectives, including:
- Whether all rural students have access to connectivity suitable for educational requirements
- Cost barriers families face in obtaining adequate home internet
- Educational impact of connectivity gaps or service quality differences between urban and rural areas

4. Any assessment of educational continuity risks in isolated rural areas where:
- Schools, students' homes, local businesses, and supporting infrastructure (including cellular towers) depend on a single connectivity provider or technology platform
- Traditional terrestrial communications infrastructure (such as copper lines) has been withdrawn or decommissioned, eliminating backup connectivity options
- 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
- Whether education planning includes contingency arrangements for scenarios where primary connectivity becomes unavailable in communities with no alternative infrastructure

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

6. Any assessment of educational risks if rural connectivity market structure changes result in:
- Reduced provider choice or competition, limiting families' options
- Price increases affecting family affordability of adequate educational connectivity
- Service quality concerns affecting real-time video learning, assessment platforms, or cloud-based educational resources
- Elimination of terrestrial alternatives, creating sole dependency on satellite or single-technology solutions

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.

I do not require student-level data or information that would identify individual schools if aggregated data is sufficient.

Context: As educational delivery increasingly depends on internet connectivity, rural connectivity policy becomes educational infrastructure policy. In some isolated areas, schools, homes, businesses, and supporting infrastructure increasingly depend on single connectivity providers as traditional terrestrial options are withdrawn. I am seeking to understand whether education planning considers connectivity resilience, infrastructure diversity, and continuity of educational delivery in single-provider-dependent communities.

Yours faithfully,

Sam Brown

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DISCLAIMER:
This email and any attachments may contain information that is confidential and subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this email and attachments is prohibited. If you have received this email in error please notify the author immediately and erase all copies of the email and attachments. The Ministry of Education accepts no responsibility for changes made to this message or attachments after transmission from the Ministry.

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