After decades of advocacy, the Māori Spectrum Working Group established the Interim Māori Spectrum Commission in 2020 to hold spectrum assets. Later in 2024, it was replaced by the permanent entity, Tū Ātea Limited.

Māori individuals and groups have negotiated with the Crown since the 1970s for spectrum and to participate in the telecommunications sector to facilitate the preservation and progress of Māori cultural and language goals.

They had some national successes that benefited the whole country, when a core group initiated the creation of 2degreesMobile in 2009 – creating the conditions that saw significant drops in the costs of mobile plans to consumers. 2degreesMobile was the country's third mobile network operator. It boosted the economy to the tune of $13 billion over its first 10 years of operation.

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Tū Ātea Limited acquired the Broadtech Group, comprising two companies, Broadtech Limited and JDA Limited, in January 2024 (see diagram above) – positioning it firmly in the industry and providing a conduit between its commercial and non-commercial objectives.

Today, Tū Ātea will use next-generation spectrum to similarly contribute to the economy, while fuelling a wave of Māori telco high-tech workers and businesses.

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The company holds long-term spectrum management rights for a range of bands, administers a commercial portfolio, and has begun its (non-commercial) Impact programme focusing on workforce and innovation.

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The Name "Tū Ātea"

The verb tū ātea, to stand (tū), in space (ātea) is given in the definition by Dr Huirangi Waikerepuru within his phrase "ara tū ātea". Tū ātea was the adopted name for this new entity and acknowledges its cultural, traditional and historical sources.

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