Telecom has been selected as Network for Learning’s (N4L) technology partner, tasked with delivering a "fast, reliable and safe online educational environment for New Zealand schools."

Gen-i, Telecom’s ICT services division, will help N4L build a solution encompassing managed network services, internet access, security and content filtering.

As a result, the solution will reach 2,500 schools, connecting over 800,000 students, teachers and school administrators across the country in the process.

With a nationwide network of retail stores and Gen-i branch offices, CEO Tim Miles believes the company's local presence and depth of ICT services experience will provide a high level of service to the N4L community.

”In partnering with N4L, Gen-i will leverage extensive experience in delivering high-quality products and services over fibre to help build what we believe will be the largest managed network in New Zealand," he says.

"We’re committed to leveraging this fibre experience, our scale, and nationwide community presence, to make N4L a success.

"We are also committed to investing over the long term, to ensure New Zealanders have ongoing access to a world class and affordable education network.”

N4L will also build a portal offering a safe, collaborative environment where trusted educational content and services are discovered, and knowledge is shared.

“Interactive, inquiry-based learning, supported by technology will help to make a difference to all students,” says John Hanna, CEO, N4L.

“It will help drive accelerated thinking, innovation, development of IP, educational achievement, and ultimately see young New Zealanders doing things that maybe haven’t even been thought of yet. This is seriously exciting.”

Telecom’s role will be to deliver a streamlined technology solution for the project, and reduce both bandwidth and cost as barriers to learning, so N4L can focus on supporting schools in moving to a networked model, and the integration of new technology tools into the learning environment.

“Telecom is thrilled to be contributing to this exciting initiative, which will leverage the Government’s significant investment in UFB and RBI to deliver critical social and economic benefits for New Zealand,” says Simon Moutter, CEO, Telecom.

“N4L will take New Zealand’s education community towards an exciting new future, where technology is leveraged to enrich and broaden the learning experience.”

Moutter says the telco encourages schools that are eager to connect to fibre to take advantage of Telecom’s Ultra Fibre broadband for schools services, as a first step.

Telecom is connecting NZ schools to fibre, with no data caps or installation fees, and says it will be able to provide a smooth transition to N4L, without break fees, as it becomes available.

Static IP addresses will be available and Port 25 unblocking will be supported across all Ultra Fibre for schools plans and school areas by the end of this month.

Currently, 640 schools are able to connect to Telecom Ultra Fibre with the number due to grow to almost 2500 by the end of 2015.