Remote site connectivity
The government provided funding to assist at least two remote Core Member sites connect to the network.
About the remote site connectivity project
The MoRST remote site connectivity fund provided a one-off investment to support the connection of remote university and Crown research institute locations to the network. Many of our research organisations have infrastructure and monitoring stations in remote locations around the country from which they gather environmental, astronomical or geological data.
Key outcomes
- Remote Member sites will have connectivity to the network for a minimum of three years
- Connection to the network will be at a minimum of 1 Gb/s
- Establishment of a Tier 3 PoP, expanding the network's reach to Members
- Installation of the Local Access component between the sites and the Tier 3 PoP
Status of this project
Following an evaluation process, this funding helped connect two important research centres to the network, enabling remote control of equipment and fast data transfer back to the main centres. The chosen sites, that now have network connectivity, were:
- AUT Radio astronomy telescope at Warkworth
- University of Canterbury's Mt John Observatory
AUT Radio astronomy telescope at Warkworth
On 10 May 2010, REANNZ and AUT celebrated the successful connection of the Auckland University of Technology's radio astronomy site at Warkworth to the network. Connecting the telescope allows New Zealand to demonstrate its capability in radio astronomy, and could enable us to take part in the global radio astronomy project, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) that aims to answer questions about the origin and evolution of the universe.
Connection was made possible by the establishment of a new 1Gb/s network Point of Presence (PoP) at Warkworth. The PoP at Warkworth is linked to the nearby Telecom New Zealand Ltd satellite ground station, opening the door to network access for users that transit the station, such as the Chatham Islands, Scott Base, and some Pacific Islands.
Our 17 May media release on radio astronomy over the network and our radio astronomy case study provide further details.
University of Canterbury's Mt John Observatory
REANNZ has established a Point of Presence, and network connectivity to this PoP, in Tekapo. The University of Canterbury have now completed the 1 Gb/s connectivity between the Tekapo PoP and Mt John.