Connecting Aotearoa Summit 2025
Why can’t we have 100% of kiwis connected?
Mark your calendars! We’re excited to be hosting the Connecting Aotearoa Summit 2025 – a redefinition of our flagship event, the Rural Connectivity Symposium that we’ve held since 2015.
In its tenth year we wanted to ensure that the issues we cover are relevant and pertinent to where we are as a nation in 2025. Which is why we’re formally expanding the scope of the event and tackling the crucial question:
“Why can’t we have 100% of New Zealanders connected”
Join us as we delve into the critical issues surrounding digital connectivity in Aotearoa. We are planning to explore sub-themes including:
Rural Connectivity: Bridging the digital divide and ensuring access for all, regardless of location.
Affordability: Examining the cost barriers to internet access and exploring solutions for greater affordability.
Digital Equity: Promoting inclusivity and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate in the digital world.
Future Connectivity: Looking ahead to emerging technologies and innovative solutions for a connected Aotearoa.
These are all critical to us meeting our vision that all businesses and individuals in Aotearoa will have unrestricted access to the technology and services needed to thrive; no one misses out on the opportunities in technology, and digital engagement is safe and inclusive for all.
WISPA CONFERENCE
This year the Wireless ISP Association will be hosting their annual conference in the same venue the day before the TUANZ event – Tuesday 20 May. Opportunities to attend or support both events are available.
ACCOMODATION
We have partnered with the Scenic Hotel Group to be able to provide you with an excellent nightly rate at their Ambassador Hotel in Hamilton. This hotel has plenty of free parking and is only a short drive to the Summit venue, which also has plenty of free parking.
Rate only rate is $185; or $197 includes breakfast. Cancellation must be 24 hours before the date. You can book through the hotel using the Promo Code: CAS2025, or using their website which will automatically apply the discount code.
EVENT DINNER
The evening before the Summit, WISPA are hosting a dinner which is open to anyone attending both or either day.
DATE: Tuesday 20 May
TIME: 6.30pm (for 7.00pm dinner)
VENUE: Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton
COST: $180 (+GST) per person. Full table discount available (6 seats $900+GST)
Please note this dinner is NOT included in your event ticket and must be reserved and paid for seperately.
For RESERVATIONS please email knedra.harborne@wispa.nz
- WHEN: Wednesday 21 May 2025
- WHERE: Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton
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Partner Opportunities
If you’re interested in partnering with us on this year’s event, please get in touch for our prospectus.
Connecting Aotearoa Summit 2025 Programme
- Main Room Sessions
08:50
Welcome & Powhiri
09:15
Opening Comments
Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ
09:30
International Lessons and emerging technologies
Petra Claessen, President BTG, Netherlands (virtual)
Carol Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, ACCAN
09:30
Panel Presentations: Emerging technologies
Adam Beck, HUB, Panel Facilitator
Petra Claessen, President BTG, Netherlands
Simone Cuthbert-Scott, GM Enterprise Service & Cust Delivery, One NZ
Sebastian Faxér, CTO, Ericsson NZ
10:45
Table Session and Morning Tea
11:15
Short Presentation – Our telco networks are changing
Paul Brislen, TCF
11:30
Panel Presentations: Why do we want resilient networks and whats the human impact?
Mike Smith, The Connectivity Group
Skip Parker, Rhema Media
Vivian Chandra, Tech Strategist
Steve Main, AREC
12:15
Short Presentation : TBA
Graham Mitchell, NIFF
12:30
Lunch
13:15
Interactive Table Session
Garth Spencer and Craig Young, TUANZ
Kris Dempster-Rivett, Chorus
13:45
Panel Presentations : Improving outcomes in Rural NZ – where are we missing the mark?
Mark Eager, CEO, Mobile Health
Nicole Oliver, Board Member, Rural Women NZ
14:30
Short Presentation : Commerce Commission
Tristan Gilbertson, Telecommunications Commissioner
14:45
Afternoon Tea
15:15
Panel Presentations : What are we doing to help close digital inequity?
Victoria MacLennan, DECA, Panel Facilitator
Pete Bains, BAINZ
Rose Jamison, InternetNZ
Lee Timutimu, CEO & Founder, Our Net (Digital Equity ISP)
16:00
Keynote : Premier Partner
Mark Aue, CEO of Chorus
16:30
Ministerial Keynote
Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Communications
17:00
Closing Comments
TBA
17:15
Networking Drinks
Connecting Aotearoa Summit Speakers
HON PAUL GOLDSMITH
Minister for Communications
Paul Goldsmith is the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Minister of Justice, Minister for Media and Communications and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.
Born in Mt Eden and having attended Auckland Grammar School, Paul lives with his wife and their four children in the Epsom electorate. First elected off the National Party list in 2011, Paul served as the Chair of the Parliamentary Finance and Expenditure Select Committee. He held several Ministerial roles in the Fifth National Government.
Before entering Parliament, Paul was a historian and biographer publishing numerous books.
MARK AUE
CEO, Chorus
Mark has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years in NZ, Australia and the UK. He has been the Chief Executive of Chorus since April 2024, having joined the company in early 2023 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this he was the Chief Executive for 2Degrees and led the dual listing IPO process (NZX/ASX) and subsequent trade sale to Macquarie Asset Management.
Mark has held a number of executive and other senior roles at Vodafone including the Chief Financial Officer of the New Zealand business. Mark was also the Chief Financial Officer of the Vodafone Global Enterprise business based in the UK that spanned operations in 25 countries.
Mark has a personal passion for developing NZ Inc. He recognises the role technology plays as an enabler and in parallel the opportunity to drive positive societal outcomes to make NZ a better place to live.
CRAIG YOUNG
CEO, TUANZ
Craig is passionate about the digital technology and communications industry because of the opportunity it offers for improving business and personal lives in New Zealand. He is currently the Chief Executive of TUANZ (the Technology Users Association) which is helping New Zealand make the most of the digitally connected world.
Craig is an advocate for inclusivity, and equity especially in the digital technology sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. He was instrumental in the launch of TUANZ’s future leaders programme, FLINT, in 2016. He is the joint Chair of the Affordable Connectivity Constellation with the Digital Equity Coalition Aotearoa, and a trustee at the 2020 Trust.
ANDREW CUSHEN
MC
Andrew has spent most of the last 20 years working in New Zealand telecommunications, including time with a number of large operators, small operators and not-for-profits.
Andrew now runs Cushen Consulting, his own consultancy practice, providing corporate affairs and strategy advice across a variety of industries and clients. This includes serving as the inaugural Chief Executive of the Climate Forestry Association, Co-Chair of DPMC’s Multi Stakeholder Group to strengthen resilience to disinformation, and strategic advisor to Gravity Internet.
Andrew is a Board Member of TUANZ
GARTH SPENCER
Chief Commercial Officer at Tū Ātea
Garth Spencer is currently Chief Commercial Officer for Tū Ātea Limited, a Māori telecommunications organisation. As an executive technologist with 30 plus years of proven growth/delivery experience in mobile and fixed critical-network telecommunications, he is passionate about driving Open-Access disruption in support of connectivity equality.
KRIS DEMPSTER-RIVETT
DECA
TBA
MIKE SMITH
CEO, The Connectivity Group
Mike is currently the Chair of WISPA
SHARINA NISHA
General Manager Network Services, ONE NZ
At One New Zealand (formerly Vodafone NZ) Sharina is responsible for designing, building and operating the company’s Mobile and Fixed Core & IP Networks, Cloud & Infrastructure, Office IT, Data Centre Facilities, Enterprise Unified Comms, as well the 24×7 NOC & Cyber Defence Centre Operations. Sharina has been in the Telco industry for over 30 years working for Vodafone Fiji, UK and more recently Vodafone NZ/One NZ. She has been involved in various key infrastructure projects over the years, some of which include:
• 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G mobile networks build and operate.
• Fixed networks evolution across DSL, HFC DOCSIS 3.1 and Fibre & SIP technologies
• Rollout of the Vodafone TV platform (content aggregation)
• Large government initiatives like Rural Broadband & Next Generation Critical Comms rollout
• Virtualisation of core network functions, and now moving into containers
• Moving to an all Optical & IP networking from legacy technologies
• Rollout of large-scale collaboration and contact centres both on prem and in the cloud
• Business Continuity incl. managing major crisis events like Covid-19, Earthquake & Cyclone
• And more recently leading the collaboration with SpaceX to bring 4G coverage from Satellites to NZ
PAUL BRISLEN
CEO, Telecommunications Forum
Paul is the chief executive of the Telecommunications Forum. Previously he has variously been an editor, a public relations specialist, a commentator and even the CEO of TUANZ. He has been involved in the telecommunications sector in one form or another for 25 years but still can’t fix your wifi.
ADAM BECK
General Manager, Business & Market Development, HUB
Adam is General Manager for Business and Market Development at HUB, an Indara Company, a role that has him working collaboratively with government and the private sector to realise the benefits of shared urban infrastructure in connecting, activating and measuring urban life.
Before this Adam was Founding Executive Director of the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand, Director of Innovation at EcoDistricts in Portland (OR) in the USA, and Executive Director at the Green Building Council of Australia.
Before entering the mission-driven sector Adam spent 15 years with global consulting firms Arup and GHD. Adam is Chair of the Planning Institute of Australia Queensland PlanTech Working Group, Co-Chair of the Smart Places and Infrastructure Workstream at the Internet of Things Alliance and Founding leadership team member of the Digital Twin Partnership.
PETRA CLAESSEN
President, BTG Netherlands (virtual)
TBA
VICTORIA MACLENNAN
CEO, IT Professionals and Co-Chair DECA
TBA
ROSE JAMIESON
GM Public Impact, InternetNZ
TBA
MARK EAGER
CEO, Mobile Health
Mark Eager is Chief Executive of Mobile Health, an organisation that delivers surgical and telehealth services to rural communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. With a background in nursing and health leadership, Mark has a deep commitment to improving rural health access and equity. He has played a key role in expanding telehealth services nationwide and strengthening clinical outreach in hard-to-reach areas.
As Chair of the National PRIME Committee, Mark advocates for enhanced emergency response capability in rural settings, ensuring frontline responders are supported and appropriately resourced. He also serves on the Board of Hauora Taiwhenua, where he champions the voices of rural communities and helps shape strategic health policy and workforce development.
SKIP PARKER
Technical Operations Manager, Rhema Media
Skip has been part of Rhema Media for over 15 years, working alongside talented teams to deliver radio and television content to audiences across Aotearoa.
With a strong background in Enterprise ICT, Skip has also contributed to organisations operating in some of the most demanding environments—building and maintaining secure, resilient communications platforms where reliability is critical.
Today, he’s focused on leading Rhema Media’s efforts to bridge traditional analog radio transmission with emerging digital platforms—creating innovative, cost-effective solutions that don’t compromise on reliability or reach.
VIVIAN CHANDRA
Tech Consultant
Vivian Chandra is a tech strategist who has a particular passion for education and tech inequity. For the past decade, she has been working with schools and kura nationwide to upskill their kaiako (teachers) in digital technologies and fluency.
She is currently the co-director of Ally Skills Aotearoa, an organisation that works with forward-thinking companies to create inclusive, high-performance teams.
Vivian is a 2nd degree black belt in karate, and volunteers as an instructor at her club, helping to foster the next generation of karateka
LEE TIMUTIMU
CEO & Founder, Our Net (Digital Equity ISP)
Over the past five years, Lee Timutimu (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou) has devoted his life to advocating for Māori in the digital technology (digitech) sector. With over 20 years of experience in IT, Lee is on a mission to foster representation and participation of Māori in the industry.
As the Founder of Te Matarau (the Māori Tech Association), Co-Founder of Te Hapori Matihiko (a community for all Māori working in digitech), and Co-Founder of Ko Maui Hangarau (a rangatahi tech summit), Lee’s impact is expansive. His dedication as a leader and advocate have led him to participate at all levels within the ecosystem, from working on the ground delivering digital literacy workshops to Marae trustees and inspiring the next generation of rangatahi Māori into digitech, to sitting at governance tables that have influence.
Lee is recognised as a leading voice for Māori in digitech and actively speaks at events, emphasising the importance of representation. Alongside this mahi, Lee dedicates personal time to mentorship, embodying his commitment to nurturing future talent and driving impactful change in the tech sector.”
CHRIS ROBERTS
CEO, Amuri Net
Chris started work in the high voltage power distribution industry currently known as Orion in Canterbury as an apprentice and then operator. He then spend a number of years on a family dairy farm where rural broadband was lacking and where he started Amuri Net in 2005. Originally it was intended for the farm and a “few neighbours” but this wireless network soon grew to cover most of upper Canterbury and lower Marlborough. Early 2022 marked a new phase as the company began expanding into building a fibre network south of Rangiora. Chris leads a dedicated team making a small difference in the connectivity landscape.
NICOLE OLIVER
Board Member, Rural Women NZ
Nicole Oliver is a Rural Women New Zealand Board Member and founder of Diamond Lab, a bespoke jewellery business run from rural Waikato. She brings first- hand insight into the challenges of rural connectivity and the critical role it plays in business, community, and inclusion. With a background in agribusiness, governance, and rural leadership, Nicole is focused on ensuring rural voices shape the policies and infrastructure that impact them most.
STEVE MAIN
Northern Regional Manager, AREC
Currently employed as the Northern Regional Manager for Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC), I brought nearly 30 years of volunteer SAR service to the role. Prior to this, I spent a decade at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) in Tairāwhiti as a Lecturer in Computing, Robotics, and Internet of Things Technologies (IoTT), leading the development of their technology space and programs.
I am passionate about fostering communication resilience, thus strengthening community networks, and enhancing disaster readiness. Outside of work and family life, I enjoy electronics, exploring development boards, telemetry and adventure riding. My current project involves building two Winlink HF/VHF/UHF Radio Message Servers (RMS) for the Tairāwhiti region, supported by a recent technology grant from InternetNZ.
Sebastian Faxér
CTO, Ericsson NZ
Sebastian is currently the CTO for Ericsson New Zealand, joining from Ericsson Sweden in 2024. For the past ten years, he has held various positions in research, standardization and product management within Ericsson working with 4G and 5G radio access networks. He holds over 175 patents and was awarded the Ericsson Inventor of the Year award in 2020 for his contributions to the 5G standard. He is the co-author of the books 5G New Radio: A Beam-based Air Interface and Massive MIMO in Practice: From 5G to 6G.
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