3000 JUMP connections in less than six weeks
On 25 March 2020 New Zealand went into a Level 4 (stay at home) lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the same day the Spark Foundation announced an expansion of the eligibility criteria to include all digitally excluded groups and a 50% reduction in price (from $10 to $5 for 30GB). The impact of these two events on the demand for Jump has been phenomenal, with over 3000 new connections in less than six weeks. Previously, demand was no more than 3000 a year.
New groups to benefit from Jump include seniors, people living in rural communities, Maori and Pasifika youth, people living in social housing, people with disabilities and migrants and refugees with English as a second language.
This fantastic achievement is a direct result of the commitment of our 200 Jump delivery partners, who despite the Covid-19 lockdown, have continued to support their communities, helping people apply over the phone and then supporting them when the modem arrives. While 50 partners have continued to distribute the Jump modems themselves, using a variety of innovative contact-less delivery methods, the majority have opted for the self-service home delivery model. Our DIAA team has been responsible for arranging for modems to be couriered directly to applicants’ homes, up to 120 a day.
For more information about how to sign up for Jump, visit our Stepping UP Jump page.