| 37 T T Ange Davidson Small company making big impact Ultimate Broadband has built its own hilltop network in Canterbury and is the largest radio network in the South Island by land mass. Ultimate Broadband REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Ultimate Broadband, a small and agile broadband company based in Christchurch, has recently won the Best Rural Service Provider award at the New Zealand Compare awards. The company provides wireless internet coverage to people without standard services in Canterbury and has become a lifeline for those living in rural areas. Joanne Smith, co-owner of Ultimate Broadband, says the recent win at the awards has been a great morale boost for the team who have been competing against some big players in the industry. “It can be a bit of a David and Goliath situation!” She says that what sets Ultimate Broadband apart from big internet companies is its focus on providing individual solutions to its customers. “We don’t offer cookie cutter services, but we do offer true ultra-fast rural broadband to homes and businesses inside our coverage zones.” Ultimate Broadband has built its own hilltop network in Canterbury and is the largest radio network in the South Island by land mass, with thousands of customers on the network at any one time. The company is also able to take complicated situations and create bespoke solutions, such as setting up multiple repeater spots around a farm to improve connectivity and to enable smart farming solutions. In addition to providing rural broadband services, Ultimate Broadband also offers a range of other connectivity solutions such as cell phone coverage solutions, WiFi hotspots around the farm and in the dairy shed, remote solar stations, and camera systems to connect and enhance businesses. Michael and Joanne Smith started connecting rural Canterbury in 2009 by providing voice and mobile coverage to customers. This grew to include internet coverage as Michael had seen the limited coverage and challenges for rural businesses while working for Telecom. Ultimate Broadband now employs a team of eight along with contractors in their quest for broadband equality. Despite being a small company, Ultimate Broadband is making a big impact in rural New Zealand. The company works closely with other similar sized wireless internet providers and is proud to be a part of WISPA-NZ (Wireless Internet Service Provider Association of New Zealand) This allows them to share knowledge, resources. WISPA members all work to fill the connectivity gap in rural communities and are able to plug connectivity gaps in emergency zones around the country. Caleb Hoban, Ultimate Broadband’s help desk leader, says the company’s small and mobile nature enables them to actively engage with the community and develop innovative solutions. Moreover, this agility has allowed the company to quickly adapt to unforeseen circumstances such as disasters and pandemics. Ultimate Broadband’s recent win at the New Zealand Compare awards is a well-deserved recognition of their commitment to providing rural communities with high-quality internet services. With their focus on individual solutions and commitment to working closely with other wireless providers, Ultimate Broadband is making a significant contribution to improving connectivity in rural New Zealand.
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