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13/02/2026
Sam Brown
[FYI request #33466 email]
Tēnā koe Sam
OIA: GEMS-46480 – Rural student connectivity
Thank you for your email of 8 January 2026 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the following information relating to rural student connectivity, digital equity, and educational
service continuity:
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.
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.
3. Any advice to Ministers regarding whether current rural connectivity policies adequately
support educational outcomes and digital equity objectives, including:
Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
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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.
4. Any assessment of educational continuity risks in isolated rural areas where:
a. Students, 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withdrawn or decommissioned, eliminating backup connectivity options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.
5. Data or analysis on:
a. Rural schools’ connectivity costs compared to urbans 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.
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
OIA: GEMS-46480
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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.
7. Any advice or planning documents regarding education 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.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry needs to extend the timeframe for responding to your request, pursuant to section
15A(1)(a) of the Act, as the request is for a large quantity of information or necessitates a search
through a large quantity of information, and meeting the original time limit would unreasonably
interfere
with the operations of the Ministry. You can now expect to receive a response to your
request on or before 13 March 2026, which is an extension of 20 working days.
Please note that the information requested in
parts four and seven of your request may be more
closely connected with the functions of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE). As such, we are in the process of consulting with MBIE about the possible transfer of
these parts of your request in accordance with section 14(b)(ii) of the Act. We are therefore also
extending the 10-working day time limit available to make this transfer, to 13 March 2026, in
accordance with section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as the consultations necessary to make a decision
on those parts of your request are such that a proper response could not reasonably be made
within the original time limit.
OIA: GEMS-46480
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You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate our decision to extend the timeframe for
responding to this request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Helen Walton
Senior Advisor, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
OIA: GEMS-46480
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