Over the last four weeks, Rural Connect has explored three of the government’s five points on its action plan for the benefits of broadband.

For the government, e-Government is about delivering better services on-line for less cost.

e-Health fits within the government Health IT plan and also is about delivering better services, and yes reducing the costs to major hospitals will be a part of the objective.

e-Education has been a prime focus of successive governments.  It is the primary driver of the $1.8Bn spend on urban and rural broadband networks and includes a significant spend on a National Education Network and on upgrading the internal computer wiring of schools and so is not an area of cost savings.

One thing that each of these digital applications does, besides reducing operating costs, is to build a culture of use of the internet.  Without that use, the investment in our fibre future may never be realised.

The fourth point in the government’s action plan is labelled e-Development.

 Not quite sure what that means in practical terms but in part it is about removing the tyranny of distance for our rural areas and in particular, it is about Maori economic development.

To me, e-Development is about ensuring that enough consumers of HD video, on-line gamers and social networkers sign up for fibre-based services to assure a business return to the infrastructure providers.  Without that return, the promised benefits in health and education, as well as economic, social and environmental development will not be realised.

e-Development also needs to be about using technology to assist individuals and communities.  For example, it is about giving choice back to individuals who may be marginalised through living in remote rural areas, are aged or live alone, or having a disability.

These are particular issues for Māori for whom e-Development aspects will be determined by the National Māori Broadband Working Group, Nga Pu Waea, which will cover both urban and rural areas.

The rural broadband program promises improved broadband services to Māori households, marae, wānanga, rūnanga and other Māori organisations in rural communities.  Approximately 100 marae will be connected to fibre with an additional 480 marae covered by Telecom’s DSL or Vodafone’s mobile service at speeds of at least 5Mbps.

Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples said “Broadband as a driver of Māori development has huge potential, and this Broadband Working Party will have a very important role...”.  “Nga Pu Waea will represent and facilitate the development of Māori interests in both rural and urban areas, ..." he said.

Anthony Royal, a member of Nga Pu Waea, has said the initial meeting with Telecom and Vodafone gives members a glimpse of the scale of the challenge.  The objective is to “make sure as many Māori as possible are connected to the urban ultra fast broadband or the rural broadband, at an affordable price."

Mr Royal also wants to talk about jobs, and training and skills development as well as “what (we) are going to be doing ... once we get the infrastructure."

Nga Pu Waea is a result of the advocacy of the Māori Party and in particular, Dr Peter Sharples.  He sees marae becoming ‘digital hubs', particularly in rural communities and has secured funding of another $3.3 million dollars over three years for community based initiatives to increase digital literacy and connection.

Each of these issues are also relevant to non-Māori and Rural Connect looks forward to being involved in the broadband roll-out consultation processes to ensure that everyone achieves the same gains.