Ultra-fast broadband rollout begins in three more towns

Ultra-fast broadband rollout begins in three more towns

Thousands more premises will soon be passed by the new Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) network as Chorus, New Zealand’s largest telecommunications utility company together with Crown Fibre Holdings, begin work to deliver fibre to Napier, Porirua and Taupo.

Over the next seven months, Chorus will deploy the new UFB network past some 8,000 premises in Napier, Porirua and Taupo. 35 schools will have the opportunity to connect to UFB, offering 11,000 primary and secondary students a host of new e-learning opportunities. In addition, Chorus’ existing business fibre network is being made available to businesses across all of its UFB deployment areas.

Chorus General Manager of Network Build Chris Dyhrberg said that by late next month work in all of Chorus’ first tranche UFB deployment areas will have started.

“With the addition of Porirua, Napier and Taupo, we’re well on-track to deploy the new network past some 43,000 premises by July next year,” said Dyhrberg.

”This is another positive milestone towards improving connectivity across New Zealand’s urban centres - enabling better business productivity, health care and student engagement, through UFB,” said Sean Wynne, Chief Commercial Officer of Crown Fibre Holdings.

In line with Government policy, fibre will be delivered first to priority customers, which includes schools, health facilities and businesses.

Chorus is working with a range of retail service providers to assist them in developing new fibre-based services. This will enable residents to connect to a service using ultra-fast broadband in 2012.

“With new fibre pricing introduced earlier this year, retail service providers can connect many businesses across Chorus’ deployment areas to ultra-fast broadband today,” said Dyhrberg.

This means many businesses can begin to connect to Chorus’ existing fibre network ahead of the UFB network deployment.

Chorus’ website has the list of urban schools included in the first year of the UFB rollout, as well as an online map outlining the 24 UFB candidate areas, the first year deployment plans and its business fibre area. This means people can check on the rollout progress and find out if they can connect to the existing business fibre network.

Chorus has now begun the UFB network rollout in Ashburton, Auckland, Blenheim, Greater Wellington region (including Porirua and Masterton), Napier, Palmerston North, Rotorua and Taupo, with work due to start in Dunedin next month.

UFB deployment plans for Feilding, Gisborne, Hastings, Greymouth, Invercargill, Kapiti, Levin, Nelson, Oamaru, Pukekohe, Queenstown, Timaru, Waiheke Island, Waiuku and Whakatane are still being developed.

In all, Chorus’ new UFB network will run past more than 800,000 homes, businesses, schools and health facilities throughout the country by 2019, building on its existing 28,000km national fibre optic cable network.

ENDS.

Napier, Porirua and Taupo suburbs and schools included in Chorus’ first year UFB rollout plans

The following is a list of the suburbs and schools which are included in
Chorus’ first year plans (covering the period to 30 June 2012) to enhance the local broadband network and enable the delivery of ultra fast broadband to the door.

Suburbs:
• Napier – Napier airport area, Pandora, Hospital Hill and the Taradale Road industrial area
• Taupo – Central Taupo
• Porirua – Plimmerton (Mana), Papakowhai and Whitby

Schools:
Napier Taupo Porirua
• Henry Hill School • Lake Taupo Christian School • St Theresa's School
• Marewa School • St Patrick's Catholic School • Aotea College
• Napier Central School • Tauhara College • Brandon Intermediate
• Napier Girls' High School • Taupo School • Discovery School
• Napier Intermediate • Taupo-nui-a-Tia College • Holy Family School
• Nelson Park School • TKKM o Whakarewa I Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa • Mana College
• Onekawa School • Waipahihi School • Papakowhai School
• Port Ahuriri School • Porirua School
• St Patrick's School • Postgate School
• Westshore School • Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
• William Colenso College • Te Kura Maori o Porirua
• Cannons Creek School
• Maraeroa School
• Natone Park School
• Porirua East School
• Tairangi School

Information on Chorus’ UFB project can be viewed online at: www.chorus.conz/ultrafast-broadband

Chorus’ online map outlining its UFB candidate areas, the first year deployment plans and its business fibre area can be viewed at: www.chorus.co.nz/fibre-rollout-map