Home internet access
We’re exploring ways to support the estimated 145,000 school students in 40,000 households who currently don’t have a suitable level of internet access at home to support their learning.
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Schools, often in rural and remote areas, can choose to leverage their ICT infrastructure to become a ‘digital hub’ for their community. Schools could also seek out a potential fit within the Ministry’s Equitable Digital Access for Students (EDA4S) initiative.
Digital hubs for communities
How to get set up
The process is similar to setting up other kinds of third party occupancy. Here are the steps.
1. Identify an internet service provider to partner with.
2. Read the details of the policy on digital hubs.
School Digital Hubs Guide [DOCX, 730 KB]
3. Agree on how you and your partners will work together.
4. Talk to your Local Ministry offices to seek approval in principle.
5. Download and complete an:
- Approval in principle form, and
- Information required with application form.
These are available on our Lease agreements and application process page.
6. Complete the correct third party agreement. Your local Ministry office you give you the correct agreement to complete.
Important requirements to be aware of
Do not compromise your school’s own internet
Becoming a digital hub must not compromise your school’s internet. Your school must have access to the full data capacity and speed that it requires. Your school’s cyber security and filtering must also not be compromised.
Your school must not subsidise the service or service provider
Your school must not subsidise the retailer either by providing funds, power or maintenance fees as a result of the agreement.
Retain the right to change the agreement
You must be able to change the arrangement with the retail service provider (RSP), or withdraw from the arrangement with no penalty if the school’s circumstances change.
Equitable Digital Access for Students (EDA4S)
Our Equitable Digital Access for Students (EDA4S) initiative is working with representatives from the telecommunications sector, including the school internet service provider Network for Learning (N4L), schools and community trusts to co-create ways we can help these students.
As part of this initiative we’re involved in a number of pilots aimed at giving more students access to the internet at home such as:
- Rata Street School in Lower Hutt
- Haeata Community Campus in eastern Christchurch, and
- in Murupara Area School in the Bay of Plenty, 1 of the 7 schools in the Te Aka Toitu trust.
Read more about the pilots aimed at giving more students access to the internet at home:
Hutt Pilot extends home internet programme(external link)
Murupara Area School students get home access for learning(external link)
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