Broadband favour leads to new job

Two years ago, 24-year-old Ray Taylor was happy in his job at Laptops-R-Us, but a complaint from a friend has made him the internet saviour for rural Hawke's Bay.

"A mate of mine in Maraetotara said he couldn't get broadband and I said, 'I wonder what we can do about that'," he said.

After extensive research he went door knocking to track down the owner of Mt Kahuranaki.

"He said sure, go for it."

He was also given permission to use the roof of the old Napier Hospital and the internet was bounced to his friend using Wi-Fi.

His neighbour rang up and asked him when he would do his house.

"I said what are you on about? This is just a private link for my mate.

"Then five or six are wanting it so I thought, let's do it."

Using an inheritance from his grandparents he connected the neighbours, but the phone calls continued and he now has 10 transmitter sites in Hawke's Bay.

His company, Taylor Communications, records word-of-mouth requests to connect and when there is a cluster connects customers for free, if they sign a two-year contract. Plans start at a speed of 2mbps with 6GB per month costing $49.

Hawke's Bay Today online editor Peter Fowler is one of Taylor Communication's latest customers. He had been frustrated by a slow satellite internet service at his rural retreat near Elsthorpe.

"Ray has delivered broadband that is 10 times faster and three times cheaper," he said.

"What impresses me is this young guy has done what Telecom, the Government, Airnet [Now] and Unison have been unable to do - give people like me decent broadband.

"Frankly in my eyes he puts them to shame. The Government is giving hundreds of millions to the big corporations to do what this kid had done with the proverbial number eight wire."

One of the owners of Mt Kahuranaki was so impressed with what he was doing he invested in Taylor Communications, allowing it to expand to far-flung parts of Hawke's Bay.

"I've learned a lot of lessons up that mountain," Mr Taylor said.

The radio transmitters require 14 volts to operate but solar panels kept blowing away - even when set in concrete. He was once forced to drive up the mountain's farm tracks in his car to charge batteries.

While the Taylor Communications' network does cover urban areas, he was not seeking urban customers.

"Rural broadband is our niche."

He does not pay himself a salary for his ISP service, his second job.

"Margins are small. I'm going to need 250 subscribers to pay my current wage, we currently have 120.

"It's a hobby that will eventually become a business but it needs to grow first."

As customer numbers increase so too will the speed of the service.

He was not worried by competition from the government-funded Rural Broadband Initiative being rolled out by Chorus and Vodafone.

"They have released their prices and they're a rip off. The government has failed."