Almost monthly newsletter. Easter 2026
Well Christmas and New Years has been and gone and suddenly we are coming up on Easter, still at least that means there are some Hot Cross Buns around now :)
We have finished moving all the Rural Wireless Limited customers over onto the Inspire Network of towers and on to our own fibre network where it was available.
We have spent summer building power resiliency into many of our wireless towers out around the countryside, adding more solar, bigger / better batteries, and also some diesel generators at the bigger sites. We have also just completed a full site upgrade at one of our major towers at Mangaweka. This is one of our new shipping container/generator/solar site models, with our own tower design we have been making locally with MJ Custom Engineering. We started out at this site with a small tower to connect a group of farmers and a couple of very rural schools back in 2012, here's a little idea of how its developed.
Now that summer is over, we will be moving our wireless team into maintenance and support, looking after customer connections, storm damage if it happens and the like. Its a great time to remind you, if you are one of our wireless customers, to remember to trim your trees if they are starting to get in the way of your antenna connection.
Our Fibre build team have been working hard, and we are just about to start connecting people in Kimbolton Road from Colyton Rd to Almadale Rd. This build has been a little behind schedule as we took time to share our trench with the local council that needed to install a new watermain along the same road. In good news for this build, we will be back in late Spring for an extension to continue up Kimbolton Road from Almadale Rd up to Cheltenham township. Stage 1 of this area has plans at www.inspire.net.nz/colyton where you can register your interest in a connection if you haven't done so already.
Once we complete the current stage of our Kimbolton Road build, our teams will be moving in to build fibre to Halcombe township. We anticipate we will be starting in Halcombe around the last week of April at this stage. You can see our plan / register your interest for a connection here - www.inspire.net.nz/halcombe
The Fibre build team have also been progressing in Makino Road, we have approximately 70% of the duct in the ground and we are now starting to blow in fibre and connect customers along this build while our contractors finish the rest of the duct laying. If you live in this area, you can see our build plan here - www.inspire.net.nz/makino
This build team will be moving in the Nannestad Line and an area around Bunnythorpe, we are expecting to start in here around the 2nd week of May, you can see our build plans at www.inspire.net.nz/bunnythorpe
Have a great Easter break, hopefully getting some time off to relax, enjoy time with friends and family, perhaps eat too much chocolate.
As part of work life balance for staff, we will be closed on Easter Friday and Monday. However, the Helpdesk is open Saturday and Easter Sunday (9am- 6pm) and Anzac Day (9am-6pm) Note our customer service desk is closed on the public holidays.
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Win 1 of 3 Inspire bags filled with goodies in time for Easter!
All you need to do to is enter by clicking the link below! Good luck!
*Competition applies to current Inspire Net customers only. Prize not redeemable or transferrable for cash. Winners drawn Friday 27th March, 2026. Winners will be contacted directly and an announcement posted to our Facebook page and website.
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Useful stuff!
- A reminder if you are paying by Automatic payment that you are paying the correct amount each month. With the pricing changes that occurred late last year some customers haven’t yet updated their payments.
- Customers paying by Direct Debit just a reminder to ensure funds are available when the amount is due to come out as we have these being dishonored on a daily basis. This also costs you in the form of bank fees and a potential disruption to your service.
- Are any of your family members visiting during the Easter break? It’s also School Holiday time again! Do you require an increase in your data allowance? If yes, give us a call and we can arrange it.
- Did you know you can pay your bill online via our website? Feel free to give us a call if you need a hand or would like your login details refreshed.
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Vulnerable Customers
Commission 111 Code
The purpose of the Commission 111 Contact Code is to ensure that vulnerable consumers, or persons on their behalf, have reasonable access to an appropriate means of contacting the 111 emergency service in the event of a power failure.
The code supports consumers who can no longer call 111 in a power cut because they have moved to new home phone technologies like fibre and fixed wireless. These technologies need a power supply in the home to work, meaning they will not work in a power cut, without an independent power source.
Under the Code, telecommunications service providers must tell new customers, and remind existing customers at least once a year, that their home phone may not work in a power cut. Providers must also tell their customers how they can protect themselves and where to go for further support.
Home phone customers who don’t have an alternative way to contact 111 in a power cut can apply to their provider if they are at particular risk of needing to call emergency services for health, security or disability reasons. If they qualify, their provider will work with them to determine the right product for their particular needs, at no cost to the consumer.
The Code comes into effect in February 2021, though providers have until August 2021 to make the process for extra support available to vulnerable consumers.
What this means for Inspire Net Customers
When there is a power failure, if you are a VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) customer this means your phone will not operate to call 111, if needed, as it works digitally via your internet connection, which also won’t be working. Items like cordless phones and medical alarms will also likely not work unless you have an alternative connection which doesn’t rely on power to operate.
Most people will have a cellphone that they can call 111 if needed, however in some instances this service may not be available due to location.
If you are an Inspire Net VOIP customer who is vulnerable (a person who is at particular risk of requiring 111, with for example a medical condition) and doesn’t have an alternative means of contacting 111 in the case of a power failure please call or email us and we can work with you to come up with a suitable solution at no cost to you. Note there is a form to complete which we can work through with you, if needed, and some proof of vulnerability is required. This form is also available on our website.
For further information, this link takes you to the complete code and here are the FAQs.
How to apply
You can download the pdf version of the application form here. Please print this form, fill it out and return it to Inspire Net. If you have any trouble filling out the form, feel free to give us a call on 0800 484 363.
More information
What you need to know.
Can you call 111 in a power cut? If the power goes out and there is an emergency, will you or your loved ones be able to contact 111? Most modern home phones require power to work. It’s important that you know what technology your home phone uses and that you also check your family and friends understand this and are prepared.
Click here to view the factsheet.
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Need a home phone but your copper lines are no longer in service?
Inspire Net offers a phone service fed over your internet connection with competitive pricing.
Need to call more Mobile phones these days? Well we have that covered too! You can add additional mobile minutes to your phone plan!
·100 Minutes to NZ Mobiles +$10/month
·250 Minutes to NZ Mobiles +$25/month
Interested? Give our friendly helpdesk a call and we can go over the details with you 😊
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More tips from our Helpdesk
Is your internet running slow?
More often than not, it’s due to one of the following:
- Multiple people using the connection at the same time – Streaming, gaming, or downloads can all add up.
- Wi-Fi interference or distance from the router – Walls, appliances, or being too far away can reduce speeds.
- You’ve gone over your monthly data cap – Speeds may be reduced once the cap is reached.
If you’re unsure which one it might be, feel free to get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
0800 484 363😊
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Wishing all of our customers a happy Easter break and let's hope the weather is warm.
- Your Inspire Net team.
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