Increasing our network resiliency in the South Island

REANNZ is taking extra steps to protect our South Island/Te Waipounamu members and make the network more resilient – especially during severe weather and seismic events.

We’ve just linked our network in the South Island to the Hāwea cable – which reaches down the West Coast – providing a much-needed alternate route for internet services in a natural disaster.

The installation of the new cable was funded by Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) with implementation by Chorus. It brings 250km of new fibre to some of the most remote places in the country.

REANNZ CEO Amber McEwen says: "I am delighted to let to our members know that we have extended our network to include the Hāwea cable. We can now provide enhanced connectivity and increased resilience for our members in the South Island.”

The new path allows REANNZ to bypass Christchurch in the event of a natural disaster, but still keep the South Island network up and running.

“This is especially good news for the member institutions in the lower South Island – as we can help protect them against isolation due to large weather events,” says Amber.

Want to find out more about making your network more resilient? REANNZ can review the network resiliency across your sites and provide recommendations to improve it. Get in touch with our engagement team: engagement@reannz.co.nz

What our members say

“The addition of the Hāwea cable to the REANNZ national network is a great addition that adds to the resiliency and redundancy of the digital landscape here at University of Otago. Everything the university does – from online learning such as our MBA program to our globally connected researchers – is reliant on having reliable global connectivity. Having a North/South connection that is geographically separated from the current eastern routes ensures that University of Otago’s digital services are resilient and able to support the university into the future.”

Wallace Chase, Head of Infrastructure, University of Otago