Affordable Connectivity - Whānau Support

Whānau Contribution Support Fund
This project has been set up to support whānau who are not able to afford the cost of a broadband internet plan and require financial support to access the subsidised broadband internet connections being offered by different internet service providers (ISP's) offering digital equity plans.

All funds from this project will be used to assist the weekly or fortnightly whānau contribution payments to maintain their internet service with any of the participating ISP's.

Affordable Connectivity for Aotearoa
Many New Zealand households cannot afford internet access (at home and when out and about). We refer to this as the “affordable connectivity” problem. DECA members working in communities report that the problem has got worse with the cost of living crisis and figures suggest 1 in 5 households are not connected to the internet via a broadband connection.

The community and DECA have been advocating for government support to help low income households get the essential internet access they need to function and thrive in an increasingly digital world.
 
Government policy decisions have in part been hindered by concerns that there is not enough information on the scale of the problem, who is most in need of support, how much internet access they need, and how support could be provided.