Category: Media Releases

Land Information NZ now on the REANNZ Network

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is connected to our network. 

LINZ is responsible for land titles, geodetic and cadastral survey systems, topographic information, hydrographic information and the management of Crown property. This new connectivity to the REANNZ Network allows REANNZ members access to LINZ’s charts, hydrographic services, maps and topographic services (the LINZ Data Service will be available later in the year).

For the REANNZ members who consume this wealth of data, this means no more shipping hard disks or USB sticks around the country, or the world. To make use of this connectivity, you do not have to do anything “special”, just go about your “usual” business activities, and enjoy the increased speeds this new connectivity allows.

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REANNZ and Pacific Fibre

REANNZ International Connectivity Assured

Pacific Fibre announced today that it has not been able to reach its commitments, and that their Board will be winding down the company.

There are several options that REANNZ is considering that will meet our community’s aspirations and needs for international connectivity.

“I want to assure our membership and stakeholders, that the REANNZ Network will continue to connect New Zealand’s bright, talented people to the world. We are considering alternate options that will ensure our network connectivity continues to serve the needs of our community. We are disappointed that Pacific Fibre has been unable to achieve their commitments – the competition they were bringing to New Zealand was going to change the nature and scale of New Zealand’s connectivity to the world” says Steve Cotter.

“A 13,000km cable is clearly an audacious thing to try and do. We were fortunate to find supportive shareholders, fantastic staff and early customer support from the likes of REANNZ and Vodafone” said Pacific Fibre chairman Sam Morgan.

REANNZ has been proud to support and be involved with the venture from the outset and was fully aware of the risks and hurdles that Pacific Fibre faced. Pacific Fibre has kept REANNZ informed with the developments and progress they have been making.

For more information, please contact Steve Cotter, REANNZ CEO.

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Kiwis to test and compare their Internet with the NZ Broadband Test

Today REANNZ is launching the New Zealand Broadband Test, a website that allows Kiwis to test and compare their broadband connection.

Hosted by REANNZ, nzbt.org.nz lets users test their broadband performance at home or work and helps you to choose between Internet Service Providers (ISPs). It also shows how much faster your internet could be as ultra-fast broadband becomes available.

nzbt.org.nz will allow users to compare their internet connection with our fellow Kiwis. Users can visit the site, test their broadband speed and performance and then choose to share their results (or not). You can then compare your internet performance with others throughout New Zealand on Google Maps.

“Internet connections can vary region to region and even neighbour to neighbour depending on your ISP, location and equipment,” says Steve Cotter, CEO of REANNZ. “This website will let Kiwis test and compare their current connection and can help others make an informed decision about which ISP to choose”.

This is a beta version of the website and so users are invited to provide feedback on what they would like to see in the next version.

nzbt.org.nz is based on a similar site (SPEBS, broadbandtest.eett.gr) created by the EETT, the Greek telecommunications regulator. Local Kiwi developers Rabid have adapted SPEBS for New Zealand. The open source platform means that the code can be used for free by others to develop, making it easy to create your own version, as REANNZ did for New Zealand.

The website uses Measurement Lab (M-Lab), an open, distributed server platform on which researchers can host open source broadband measurement tools. One of these tools, NDT, provides the test that NZ users access each time they test via NZBT. M-Lab is a research consortium, with a goal of advancing network research and empowering consumers by providing useful, publicly available broadband measurement data across the globe. By enhancing Internet transparency, M-Lab helps sustain a healthy, innovative Internet.  Further details on M-Lab are available at www.measurementlab.net.

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REANNZ appoints new CEO

Steve Cotter has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ) Ltd. REANNZ owns and operates KAREN, the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network, on behalf of the country’s research, education and innovation community.

Steve’s experience with similar networks is both extensive and impressive. Some of the highlights include serving as Google’s network deployment manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as a Director in SBC Global Communications’ (now AT&T) engineering and construction departments, and more recently as the head of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Sciences Network, located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His teams have won multiple awards, including being named by InformationWeek as one of the Top 10 Government Innovators in 2009.

“Advanced, high-performance networks like KAREN are an essential part of the national infrastructure for all countries with an interest in being competitive in the global marketplace,” Steve said. “Highly reliable, very high bandwidth networks drive economic growth and stimulate a new generation of innovations addressing critical needs, such as health care and education. Our job is to ensure that innovation and discovery are only limited by our users’ imaginations, not by infrastructure. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to take on this challenge at REANNZ, and am looking forward to working with such a talented and dedicated team.”

REANNZ Board Chair Professor John Raine also expressed his enthusiasm for Steve’s appointment.

“The Board is extremely pleased to have been able to confirm such an outstanding candidate for the Chief Executive role,” he said. “After nearly 15 years of leading research and commercial networks at the national and international scale, Steve brings to this job exactly the right combination of experience in all aspects of network design, development, deployment and operation. He has an important job ahead of him to continue to build on the significant contribution that REANNZ and KAREN make to New Zealand in general and to the research and education sectors specifically. I wish him the very best in the role.”

Steve replaces inaugural CEO Donald Clark, who led REANNZ for five years, and will start early December. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering then served as a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps. He earned an MBA from Boston University.

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Media release: REANNZ Announces Capacity Agreement with Pacific Fibre

REANNZ and Pacific Fibre agree key terms for a long-term, ground-breaking international capacity service for the NZ research, education and innovation communities.

REANNZ and Pacific Fibre announced today that they have agreed Key Commercial Terms for a substantial contract to supply international capacity on the new Pacific Fibre cable system.

Donald Clark, REANNZ CEO, said “We are excited to secure an anchor tenancy providing long-term capacity for the research, education and innovation communities in New Zealand.  Pacific Fibre will provide us with effectively unconstrained capacity to Australia and the USA from mid-2014, allowing us to collaborate with the rest of the world on an equal footing.”

REANNZ is investing its own operational funding, along with NZ$15 million that the Crown granted to support a capacity purchase on a new submarine cable system.  This commitment is a result of a recent, open tender process.

Pacific Fibre’s CEO Mark Rushworth said “REANNZ is our first announced customer, and we are delighted to be working with the REANNZ team and the KAREN community. We couldn’t be more aligned with their goals. We are helping REANNZ offer extremely high capacity connections to the community, and that capacity will grow over time. The proposal also more than meets the Crown’s requirement for one new cable – as we will be providing two.”

The deal will see the amount of capacity available to KAREN subscribers rise from today’s 1Gb/s to an initial 40Gb/s and then to 160Gb/s over time.  This step change is possible due to the superior economics of the new cable system and through restricting the use of the capacity to the KAREN community.

“At current market rates, the value of the capacity commitment is over NZ$400 million, though obviously we are paying far less than that,” said Donald Clark. “This is a long term commitment, and one that recognises our support for the Crown’s policy goals of increased international cable competition at the right stage in the market process.”

REANNZ and Pacific Fibre are now negotiating a final contract based on the signed Key Commercial Terms.  As with all major transactions REANNZ enters into, this process will be subject to the approval of REANNZ shareholders.

Neither party is disclosing additional information about the deal until contracting is completed.

For more information please contact:

Donald Clark
REANNZ CEO donald.clark@reannz.co.nz
+64 4 913 1093

Mark Rushworth
Pacific Fibre CEO mark.rushworth@pacificfibre.net
+64 21 244 0777, +64 9 215 3308

About REANNZ

REANNZ (Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd) is the Crown-owned company that owns and operates the high-speed, unrestricted broadband network for the New Zealand education, research and innovation communities – KAREN (Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network).

REANNZ acts as an expert purchaser of networks and services. As a not-for-profit membership organisation, we work on behalf of our community for the good of our community, aggregating demand to procure the best and most cost effective networks and services from the market to meet their specialist needs. REANNZ connects over 110 members at more than 150 member sites.

About Pacific Fibre

Pacific Fibre was founded in 2010 and is intending to construct one of the longest and most technically advanced undersea cable systems. The Pacific Fibre cable will connect Australia and New Zealand to the United States, using leading and proven industry technology to achieve the fastest and most efficient route. Employing 40G technology, Pacific Fibre’s cable will, upon installation, deliver 5.12 Tbt/s of design capacity and, like all modern cable systems, should be capable of significant future increases in design capacity. Pacific Fibre is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. The Pacific Fibre shareholders include a number of successful entrepreneurs with proven track records, including Sam Morgan, Rod Drury, Sir Stephen Tindall, David Kirk MBE, and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel.

 

Download the word version of this press release (doc, 404KB)

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Polytechnics join KAREN

We’re excited to announce that seven Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) will join the KAREN community in the next few months. This follows the conclusion of our procurement process for hardware and connectivity services for the ITPs.

Media release: Polytechnics join KAREN

Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd (REANNZ) selects hardware and connectivity providers to connect seven additional Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics to the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN).

Seven Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs) will join the KAREN community in the next few months. The seven new ITPs to join KAREN are:

  • Bay of Plenty Polytechnic
  • Eastern Institute of Technology
  • Southern Institute of Technology
  • Taira-whiti Polytechnic
  • Universal College of Learning
  • Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki
  • Whitireia Community Polytechnic

Connectivity services for six of the ITPs have been won by Gen-i that is providing cost-effective 1 Gb/s connections from the ITP back to the KAREN core. The connectivity contracts are for 55-months.

KAREN connectivity for Bay of Plenty Polytechnic will be via investment in a 20-year term dark fibre link between Rotorua and Tauranga, provided by FX Networks. This will be the first REANNZ-lit dark fibre spur on KAREN.

“The strategic investment by these ITPs to join the KAREN community has enabled us to extend KAREN’s footprint across the country, so that we can reach more of New Zealand. KAREN connectivity will also help the ITPs drive cost-efficiencies through course co-delivery and shared services,” says Donald Clark, REANNZ CEO.

In addition, REANNZ has placed an initial order for 14 Juniper MX-80s to be supplied by NEC. This new router will provide the ability for smaller organisations to connect more easily and more cheaply to KAREN. This router was chosen for its scalability and functionality.

“It is an important underscoring of REANNZ’s role as a neutral procurement specialist that through this tender we have broadened our supplier base for KAREN,” said Donald.

Don Campbell, Chief Executive of Whitireia Community Polytechnic says “our applied degree and post graduate students will benefit from the research network supported by KAREN. It will increase the speed and ease of access to new developments in applied industry practices.”

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REANNZ signs with FX Networks

REANNZ has selected FX Networks to provide the national network for KAREN from December 2010.

Media release: REANNZ signs with FX Networks

Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd (REANNZ) has entered into a long-term partnership with FX Networks to provide the national connectivity for the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN).

Following a thorough and comprehensive evaluation process, REANNZ has selected FX Networks to provide the national network for KAREN from December 2010. The arrangement secures the continuation of KAREN’s existing 10Gb/s backbone connectivity and footprint around the country for an initial term of 3-years through to December 2013, with two 2-year renewal options.

The contract also includes options to move KAREN to a dark fibre-based network. Moving KAREN to dark fibre-based infrastructure will be essential to ensure KAREN can continue to offer leading-edge network services within a constrained cost base.

“This is the most exciting development for KAREN since the network was launched in 2006. We are confident that we have selected a progressive, long-term partner in FX Networks and have secured the best national connectivity options for our community and provided certainty to our members on cost and presence,” said Donald Clark, REANNZ CEO.

“Over the last 4 years, the demands of our members has driven innovation in network supply and services across the telecommunications industry. In earlier times our investments have helped other network suppliers extend their networks, now we’re helping FX Networks,” said Donald.

On moving to the new network, REANNZ will put into effect a new Network Access Policy. This new policy will provide greater flexibility to REANNZ and KAREN members around access, and use of the network.

Work has already begun on comprehensive transition plan to ensure a smooth cross-over from current national connectivity arrangements to the new arrangements in December.

REANNZ is in late stage contract discussions with the preferred supplier for KAREN’s international network. An announcement on the selected provider will be made later this month.

Contacts

Donald Clark
Chief Executive
REANNZ
04 913 1090

Jamie Baddeley
General Manager – Sales
FX Networks
021 448 309

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NZ radio astronomy goes global over KAREN

The AUT radio telescope at Warkworth is now connected to KAREN. This will allow New Zealand to demonstrate its capability in radio astronomy, and could enable New Zealand to take part in the global radio astronomy project, the Square Kilometre Array.

Media statement: NZ radio astronomy goes global over KAREN

New Zealand’s participation in leading-edge science on the origins of the Universe leaps light-years ahead with KAREN.

Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd (REANNZ) and AUT University last week celebrated the successful connection of AUT’s radio telescope at Warkworth to the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN).

Connecting the telescope allows New Zealand to demonstrate its capability in radio astronomy, and could enable New Zealand 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.

“The connection of this important piece of science infrastructure to KAREN is a significant milestone for the New Zealand radio astronomy community, and has the potential to enable New Zealand to participate in an international radio astronomy research programme of epic proportions,” says Donald Clark, Chief Executive of REANNZ.

Professor Sergei Gulyaev, Director of the Institute for Radio Astronomy and Space Research at AUT says, “This very fast fibre connection means we can send data directly from our radio telescope in Warkworth to Australia, US and around the world. We are transferring huge amounts of astronomical data directly across the Tasman to the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) correlator in Perth and the first scientific results look very interesting.  This KAREN connection is a great milestone for NZ radio astronomy and for SKA development. ”

Connection was made possible by the establishment of a new 1Gb/ps KAREN 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 KAREN access for users that transit the station, such as the Chatham Islands, Scott Base, and some Pacific Islands.

“The Warkworth connection is the first of a number of regional PoPs we will be establishing over the coming year that will significantly extend KAREN’s footprint across the country. The closer we can get to local communities, the greater the opportunity for participation from organisations across the education and research sector,” says Donald.

This connection was made possible through the Remote Site Connectivity Fund provided by the Ministry of Research Science and Technology (MoRST) on behalf of the New Zealand government. This fund provides one-off investments to connect remote important science infrastructure to KAREN. The second remote site – the University of Canterbury’s Mt John Observatory – will be connected later this year.

Contacts

Donald Clark
Chief Executive, REANNZ
04 913 1090

Professor Sergei Gulyaev
AUT University
09 921 9541
021 924 319

See our media and communications page for the ‘NZ radio astronomy goes global over KAREN’ and earlier REANNZ media releases.

Point of Presence (PoP)

A PoP is an on-ramp point to connect to KAREN. It is the equivalent of a train station or motorway junction.

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KAREN’s global connectivity expanded: media release

KAREN’s international network capacity between Australia and New Zealand has been doubled in capacity in response to Member demand.

REANNZ has signed an agreement with Verizon Business to double KAREN’s current international network capacity between Australia and New Zealand from 155Mb/s to 310Mb/s.

This upgrade was driven by strong growth in the use of KAREN’s international network by KAREN Members, and will be provided at no extra cost to Members.

“Our Members have aggressively embraced the opportunities KAREN provides for communicating and collaborating with their international colleagues. Their participation in international research and education over KAREN has increased so much that we are growing the capacity of KAREN to meet their needs. This expansion in capacity will ensure our Members can continue to participate in and lead big global science activities and further embed themselves in international research programmes.

“The fact that we are having to make this upgrade in international capacity ahead of schedule is a strong sign that the KAREN community is leading the charge in developing the weightless economy New Zealand needs to survive”, said Donald Clark.

The upgrade in capacity is being provided by REANNZ’s existing network partner, Verizon Business, and will be in place shortly. Savings made on recent network contracts have enabled this additional capacity to be provided within existing budgets.

REANNZ is currently developing its plans to procure longer-term, larger links to the global research and education community.

More information

You can also find this and other media releases on our Media and Communications page.

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REANNZ welcomes new Chair

Professor John Raine has been appointed Chair of the Board of Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand Ltd.

New chair for REANNZ

REANNZ are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor John Raine to the position of Chair of the REANNZ Board.

“We are delighted to welcome Professor Raine as our Board Chair. Massey University is an authority in the use of KAREN for accelerating research productivity and for improving operational efficiency. We are thrilled to have such a senior figure from one of our leading Members taking REANNZ into the future,” said Donald Clark.

John is currently Regional Chief Executive for the Albany campus of Massey University and for international operations across the university, providing strategic leadership, policy development and management. He has significant experience in leading commercial research and technology commercialisation, which he has enacted at Massey University and during this previous role position of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and International) at the University of Canterbury. These esteemed recent positions are supported by a strong background in teaching and research in mechanical engineering, product and business development.

John is a current board member of the Committee for Auckland Ltd, IPENZ, the Massey University e-centre Ltd, and the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. He chaired the Tertiary Education Commission PBRF Engineering, Technology and Architecture Panel for the 2006 Research Quality Assessment round and has been a member of the 2008-2009 PBRF Sector Reference Group.

John takes up the position as REANNZ Chair on 1 September 2009. He replaces Dr Jim Watson, who retired on 30 June 2009 after a 3-year term as Chair, and Jane Taylor who has been Acting Chair for July and August. The company is grateful for both their contributions and their ongoing support.

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