WombatNET

For thirty years, New Zealand has been building rural connectivity in layers. Fibre. Fixed wireless networks. Mobile coverage. Copper, where it still runs. Local providers who turn up when something breaks. Redundancy, fallback, options.

That layered model is dissolving onto a single foreign-owned satellite service, fast.

The service has been a game changer for many rural users. That's important to acknowledge.

What's worth asking alongside is what it means for the country to lose those layers. If the satellite service is restricted, changes its terms, becomes unaffordable, or fails for any reason, what does rural New Zealand fall back on? Who is responsible for thinking about that? And what work has actually been done?

The Commerce Commission's independent expert flagged the risk last year. The relevant agencies have not done the analysis. The Minister holds advice but won't release it.

Disclosure: WombatNET is a regional wireless ISP. Starlink is a direct competitor. But the question is way bigger than that.

NZ wireless internet provider warns of Starlink's rural broadband monopoly risk Rural New Zealand risks relying too heavily on one satellite internet provider, the government is being warned.