Te Kura o Waikare, a kura in Waikare in the Bay of Islands is the 700th school to be connected to the Network for Learning (N4L) Managed Network.

The milestone sees the rollout of fast internet to schools ahead of schedule by almost 5 months, Nikki Kaye, Associate Education Minister announced today.

“The 700th connection was the target for the end of the first year so it is great news that this milestone has been reached so early.

“It is a tribute to the team at Network for Learning to have connected so many schools so quickly,” Kaye says.

There are now more than 225, 000 students using a Government-funded internet connection at reliably high speeds, says Kaye, with currently more than 2260 schools having registered their interest in joining.

The Managed Network has a Government investment of $211 million. The Network will provide quick and reliable internet, complete with uncapped data, web filtering and network security services, for all participating New Zealand schools.

By the end of 2016 it is expected that all schools who wish to will be connected to N4L.

Kaye says reaching the 700th school is a significant achievement.

“The sooner we provide high-quality, high-speed internet to students, teachers and schools, the better we can ensure that every student can benefit from technology to achieve their best, no matter where they are in New Zealand.”

“Having access to predictable, ultra-fast broadband is critical in enabling schools to explore more innovative approaches to teaching and learning, using the internet and digital technologies.”