When the Government Shared Network (GSN) was cancelled last December, the Maori policy advisory agency, Te Puni Kōkiri’s inter-office communications were left in the lurch.

As a policy-based agency, Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK) used extensive internet traffic and data streams across the New Zealand offices, so a high-performance alternative was needed quickly.

TPK required a Wide Area Network solution that would provide diverse radio access to their corporate office and connectivity to their existing ISP and other TPK-run offices around New Zealand.

They sought quality service with flexibility to expand in the future, from a stable and long term provider.
To this end, TPK issued a Request for Pricing tender, with several providers joining in.

TPK’s manager of Information Services, Gary Weston-Webb says there wasn’t much to differentiate the various bids, but Kordia offered the greatest amount of flexibility and keen pricing that didn’t lead to any extra costs for the agency.

Kordia’s OnKor™ Wide Area network met all of their requirements.

Also, the fact that Kordia is a state-owned enterprise was attractive to TPK. “It’s a bit like keeping it in the family”, Weston-Webb says.

He adds that another important consideration was Kordia responsiveness when it comes to technical support and customer service. “Kordia doesn’t have that layer of bureaucracy bigger providers have, and real techies answer your queries”, he says.

Using radio access technology to the TPK office in Wellington and fibre access to the Christchurch office, Kordia has provided an OnKor Layer 2 WAN solution that meets all of the TPK’s current requirements with the ability to grow with their needs.

Physically, the radio link reaches some three kilometres from TPK’s offices to Mt Victoria in Wellington; with a full capacity of 40Mbit/s (20Mbit/s of which is shared with NIWA over CityLink backhaul). TPK has apportioned the link so that 10Mbit/s is used for internet access and five 2Mbit/s channels for inter-office communications.

Kordia delivers the service as a ‘stripped-down Layer 2’, as Weston-Webb says TPK wants to use its own switches and equipment.

Through Kordia’s specialised network link, TPK’s ten agencies around the country are connected.