New Zealand operator Spark has entered into a partnering agreement with network-as-a-service technology company Netlinkz to supply Starlink business-grade satellite broadband to customers later this year, following the completion of trials currently underway with a small number of New Zealand businesses.
Commenting on the deal, Spark Product Director Tessa Tierney said: ‘It is critical that businesses can continue providing their services to New Zealanders in the event of extreme weather events or other disruptions to traditional connectivity. Spark has been providing satellite connectivity to Aotearoa since the 1970s and we own and operate a purpose-built Satellite Earth Station in Warkworth. Our new partnership with Netlinkz allows us to supply Starlink business-grade satellite to our customers, which will further enhance the end-to-end digital capabilities we already offer businesses across connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud computing, IoT, data and AI, with an additional layer of resilience and business continuity.’
Spark also revealed it is working on a satellite-to-mobile service for its mobile subscriptions, with details and timings to be announced soon.