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Federated Farmers of New Zealand is welcoming Google's global trial for its revolutionary Project Loon. If successful, Project Loon could ensure near total broadband coverage for rural New Zealand at speeds currently associated with 3G mobile.
"Google's Project Loon is the epitome of innovation. It takes cool science and puts it together in a completely new way," says Dr William Rolleston, Federated Farmers vice-president, speaking immediately after the global launch of Google Loon in Christchurch on Saturday.
"What Google proposes doing is to use balloons high in the stratosphere to offer wide area coverage of broadband. It is, quite literally, the material of Star Trek.
"Google Loon is a radical but inspiring solution which could eliminate the latency downside of satellite and weak or non-existent wireless for those areas where fibre based broadband cannot reach.
"With 'rings' of 'Loon balloons,' it is a brave new step toward providing coverage to rural and remote areas. Potentially this is huge given New Zealand's Rural Broadband Initiative still leaves around a quarter of rural New Zealand without reliable or rapid access to the internet."
Google says Project Loon is experimental technology for balloon-powered Internet access. Google thinks a ring of balloons, flying around the globe on the stratospheric winds, might be a way to provide affordable Internet access to rural, remote, and underserved areas down on Earth, or help after disasters when existing communication infrastructure is affected.
The balloons, carried by the wind at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes fly, can beam Internet access to the ground at speeds similar to today's 3G networks or faster.
It pilot test began at the weekend with the launch of a few dozen balloons from the Tekapo area of the South Island. A group of about 50 pilot testers in Christchurch and parts of Canterbury now have special Internet antennas that can connect to the balloon-powered Internet when the balloons are in a 20km radius.
Charles Nimmo of Leeston became the first person in the world to connect to balloon-powered Internet.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
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