Spark – the company that recently promoted its living wage – has a new social programme on its agenda: Spark Jump, which will offer broadband for just $15 a month to at least 5000 underprivileged families.
“Digital inequality, especially when it comes to online learning, is a significant challenge for New Zealand. Every day, tens of thousands of children do not have access to home broadband and come home from school unable to continue their online learning,” Spark managing director Simon Moutter says.
Spark Jump will be administered by the Spark Foundation, chaired by Nick Leggett (best known in recent times as a Labour independent candidate for the Wellington mayoralty).
Spark Foundation will partner with local community-based-organisations who will identify and refer eligible families with school-aged kids.
The service itself will be offered through Spark subsidiary Skinny and take the form of 4G fixed wireless, with a 30GB a month data cap.
Today's launch follows trials in Auckland and Christchurch.
"Our work with Manaiakalani [a digital learning trust] has shown that the lack of home broadband is a barrier to New Zealand children's learning and that whanau engagement plays a big role in children's educational success," Mr Leggett says.
"By enabling whanau to support digital learning with home broadband, we can help build on the effectiveness of the government’s efforts to improve broadband access within schools, through the rollouts of ultrafast fibre and the Network for Learning (N4L) managed network.”
Spark says it wants to increase the scheme beyond 5000 families through partnerships with community groups and potentially the government.
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Spark pledges $15 a month broadband for kids in 5000 poor families
61828