| 37 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Rural Connectivity Group Nokia is proud to supply the technology enabling RCG to bring rural connectivity to communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. www.nokia.com At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. T T Sue Russell Helping connect the rural heartland RCG is an independent entity, charged with responsibility to acquire sites, build, operate and maintain the new 4G wireless network across rural New Zealand. The Rural Connectivity Group was formed in August 2017 with the specific purpose of building a network of cell sites to provide 4G fixed wireless broadband and mobile services to remote parts of New Zealand. The contract with Crown Infrastructure Partners was an ambitious and world-leading first, which saw the Rural Connectivity Group partner with the country’s three mobile network operators (MNO’s) — Spark, One NZ and 2degrees. Funding for the rollout of cell sites has come from the Government’s Telecommunications Development Levy along with $75million contributed by the MNO’s. RCG is an independent entity, charged with responsibility to acquire sites, build, operate and maintain the new 4G wireless network across rural New Zealand. Ian Hooker, CEO of the Rural Connectivity Group, says the project has done an outstanding job of bringing mobile and wireless broadband services to rural roads, tourism locations and rural communities where people live and work. “Our initial target was to build 400 cell sites to cover at least 30,000 rural homes and businesses along with 1000 kms of rural state highways and coverage at 100 tourist hotspots. To date we’ve built 575 cell sites with another 20-30 sites under consideration for communities still requiring coverage,” Ian explains. He says the partnership funding model was the only way broadband and mobile coverage could be extended to remote rural communities, given the country’s challenging topography. “All three service providers share the radio access network (RAN) equipment on each tower we build. It’s a brilliant solution, as it would not have been economically viable for any single mobile network operator to deliver this infrastructure independently. The technology used is called “shared RAN” and in remote locations it just makes sense.” The impact on isolated communities and businesses has been profound, as demonstrated by the establishment of five cell sites on Chatham Island, changing overnight how its community could communicate and access data and information. “They literally woke up one morning to having broadband and mobile coverage. Can you imagine what that must have felt like!” The importance and life-changing impact of the RCG’s work for rural Kiwis was recognised at the 2025 Building Nations Impact Awards where Rural Connectivity Group won the prestigious ‘Social Impact Award’. The award recognises projects which have delivered outstanding social outcomes through collaboration with Māori, stakeholders and communities. The judges commented that Rural Connectivity Group’s world-first shared network model, developed in partnership with government and major telcos, enabled fast, cost-effective rollout while reducing environmental impact and bridged the digital divide for people in rural areas. “We’re tremendously proud of what we’ve brought to isolated communities. It’s been life-changing for marae, farms, schools and businesses who can now rely on 4G connectivity. The positive social, educational and economic outcomes this provides is beyond measure.” When a site is located, the team at RCG negotiate with landowners to secure lease rights. The majority of RCG sites are owned by private land owners, whilst others are on DOC land and located in the road reserve. Once these lease agreements are in place, RCG design and build the infrastructure specific for each site. RCG works with local contractors wherever possible to help build the cell sites. “It’s a win-win because we’re choosing local businesses for the most part to construct the sites.” RCG’s expertise and build capabilities are now focused on bringing the shared RAN model into places like shopping centres, retirement villages, airports, and commercial buildings. These populated places can experience poor coverage indoors, and RCG has the expertise to address those issues. As for completing the current contract on remote sites Ian says there’s approximately 12 months of build programme ahead. Of the 575 sites completed to date, 80 are totally off-grid, relying on solar power to keep the cell site up and running for the people in the area. “These are often in mountainous terrain, at high altitude and not visible, but still providing the benefits of mobile connectivity. Some of our contractors have visited parts of this country no-one else will ever see.”
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