Our Story
Tūhono is a new retail telecommunications provider dedicated to serving Māori whānau across Aotearoa. We are proudly owned by Tu Atea, a Māori organisation committed to empowering communities and providing quality services that give back. Our mission is simple: By Māori, For Māori—recirculating the pūtea directly to your Marae.
The name 'Tūhono' means 'to connect' or 'to join' in Te Reo Māori, reflecting our mission to connect people, communities, and whānau across Aotearoa. But we're not just connecting you to the internet—we're connecting you to your community. Every household that joins Tūhono strengthens their local Marae with a $8 monthly rebate, creating sustainable funding for community initiatives.
About Tu Atea
Tu Atea is a Māori organisation with a vision to create positive change and opportunities for communities across Aotearoa. Through strategic investments and partnerships, Tu Atea is building a portfolio of businesses that serve both Māori and all New Zealanders.
As the owner of Tūhono, Tu Atea brings deep cultural values, community focus, and a commitment to excellence in everything we do. We believe in building relationships, supporting local communities, and creating sustainable businesses that benefit all New Zealanders.
Built on Feenix Communications
Tūhono is built on the proven infrastructure of Feenix Communications Limited, a wholesale ISP owned by Tu Atea. Feenix Communications has established itself as a reliable wholesale provider, and now Tūhono brings that same reliability and quality directly to retail customers.
This foundation gives Tūhono a significant advantage - we're not just a new entrant, we're built on years of wholesale experience and proven network infrastructure. Our customers benefit from this expertise while enjoying the fresh approach and customer focus that comes with being a new retail brand.
The Marae Rebate Model
At the heart of Tūhono is our commitment to recirculating the pūtea (money) back to Māori communities. For every household that joins Tūhono, $8 from each monthly bill goes directly to their local Marae. This isn't a donation—it's a sustainable revenue stream that strengthens your community every month.
Our commercial model splits returns 50:50 between Tu Atea and the community. This means when you pay the same or less than you're paying today, a significant portion of that spend strengthens your Marae instead of going to corporate shareholders. It's Mana Motuhake in action—self-determination through economic empowerment.
The Kaitiaki Support Model
Tūhono operates on a 'Zero-Touch' platform-first philosophy. Instead of traditional call centers, we empower local Coordinators (Kaitiaki) at each Marae to support their community members. These Kaitiaki help with sign-ups, provide first-line support, and use our diagnostic tools to ensure service quality.
This model creates a career pathway for whānau. By mastering our platform tools, Kaitiaki gain verified industry skills in network assurance and customer service. They can progress from helping their Marae to full-time engineering or support roles within the wider ICT industry or the Tu Atea ecosystem. We're not just providing internet—we're building capability and creating opportunities.
Career Pathways
Tūhono doesn't just provide internet—we build capability and create career opportunities for whānau. Our Kaitiaki Support Model creates a pathway from community support to professional ICT careers.
Start at Your Marae
Begin as a Local Coordinator (Kaitiaki) supporting your community members with sign-ups, quotes, and first-line support using our platform tools.
Develop Technical Skills
Master our diagnostic tools to interpret service levels and technical matters. Gain verified industry skills in network assurance and customer service.
Progress to Professional Roles
Advance from helping your Marae to full-time engineering or support roles within the wider ICT industry or the Tu Atea ecosystem.
Build Your Own Business
The training program can evolve into a launchpad for whānau-owned tech support and installation businesses, creating economic opportunities.
Skills Development & Training
We implement formal training programs for Lead Persons (Kaitiaki) at each Marae. This creates a pipeline of younger whānau skilled in help desk setup, network assurance, and network basics—moving them from consumers to contributors in the ICT sector.
- ✓ Formal training in network assurance and customer service
- ✓ Hands-on experience with diagnostic and platform tools
- ✓ Verified industry skills recognized by employers
- ✓ Pathway from community support to full-time professional roles
Interested in becoming a Kaitiaki or learning more about career opportunities?
Get in TouchOur Values
Whanaungatanga
Building strong relationships with our customers, communities, and partners
Kounga
Commitment to excellence in service, reliability, and customer experience
Kaitiakitanga
Responsible stewardship of resources and commitment to sustainable practices
Manaakitanga
Showing respect, generosity, and care for all our customers and communities