Shared service approach delivers another win for local council
02 September 2010
Participation in BOPLASS Ltd (Bay of Plenty Local Authority Shared Services) is delivering another win for Rotorua District Council with the completion of a 1Gbps fibre network linking it to the major councils in the region.
BOPLASS Ltd director and Rotorua District Council chief executive Peter Guerin says the regional IT network is financed by the partner councils and consists of a combination of Council-owned and leased fibre. The leased fibre is part of a new fibre link provided by FX Networks Ltd and connects councils in Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane and Taupo. Until FX Networks entered the market this service was unavailable to the councils at a price that was affordable.
In addition a microwave link is planned from Whakatane to Opotiki and future links are planned for Kawerau and Gisborne. It is hoped that all councils in the group will be linked within six months.
“The network has provided immediate operational benefits and it provides opportunities for data storage management, server consolidation and application sharing. BOPLASS has also become a participating agency in the One.Govt project which links government agencies throughout the country and this has enabled them to get competitive pricing on the leased part of the network.”
Mr Guerin says while BOPLASS is focused on getting early ‘runs on the board’ through shared council IT infrastructure, the introduction of the new network into the Bay of Plenty could provide a competitive alternative to existing telecommunication service providers over the longer term. It also supports the Government’s broadband objectives by supporting the introduction of a competitive alternative for fibre linking these Bay of Plenty centres.
“While it’s still early days, BOPLASS believes the new fibre could have a positive impact on the cost, capacity and reach of telecommunication services to residents, schools and health facilities throughout the Bay of Plenty,” says Mr Guerin.
BOPLASS Ltd is made up of Rotorua District Council, Tauranga City Council, Taupo, Western Bay of Plenty, Opotiki, Kawerau and Gisborne District Councils and Bay of Plenty Regional Council and was established in 2007 to promote shared services between councils.