Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

UFF Waives Fibre Wholesale Costs For Student Households Without Broadband

Central North Island fibre company Ultrafast Fibre will waive its monthly wholesale connection charges for families with school-aged children living in homes without broadband connectivity.

The waiver is in place for the next six months and applies to the approximately 1,650 households identified by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as needing internet connectivity for learning, and which already have a fibre Optical Network Terminal (ONT) in the home (the small white plastic ‘box’ required to connect the fibre from outside the house to inside the premise).

This means fees of up to $55/month, normally charged to the internet service provider (ISP), will be waived for these families. This wholesale charge represents around half the cost of a monthly retail plan provided by the ISP. 
 

Under the initiative, UFF is offering the MOE a speed plan the internet service providers wish to deliver up to 200/20 megabits per second.
 

Fibre for these families can be switched on at any time as their ONTs can be remotely reactivated by UFF, giving them almost instant access to fast, high quality broadband. Installing new ONTs is largely prohibited under the government’s Covid-19 Alert Level 4 status, unless it is in support of those associated with the delivery of essential services.*
 

UFF will work with MOE and retail service providers which tap into its 3,500km network across a region of 35 towns and cities to switch on fibre connections for the 1,650 eligible families as quickly as possible.
 

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We are proud to be doing our bit to support the government and remove barriers to learning from home during this unparalleled time of lockdown," says UFF CEO John Hanna. "We acknowledge it will take a collaborative effort and there are big challenges ahead to get our kids the connectivity they need for their schooling. 
 

“And as a provider of critical infrastructure servicing the 240,000 residents and businesses in the Central North Island region, we are here and we are ready to support the Government and our industry when, where and how we are needed.”
 


Mr Hanna says the company had made a significant investment in its network ahead of the Rugby World Cup and is confident the network will remain fully operational with plenty of capacity to meet the needs of its customers in the weeks ahead.
 

Internet use across UFF’s network has increased by an average of 35% since 26 March.
 

Further relief outlined
 

UFF will also defer its scheduled annual CPI (Consumer Price Index) price increase for its broadband products until at least 1 October.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.