72% of NZ’s fibre could be built by the NZRFG

17 February 2011

The Government has selected another member of the New Zealand Regional Fibre Group for ‘prioritised negotiations’ with Crown Fibre Holdings.

Vector is in line to negotiate with CFH over building the urban fibre network in Auckland.

Vector already has a substantial open-access fibre footprint in the region with the nation’s only Metro Ethernet Forum certified network.

Today’s announcement moves the NZRFG a step closer to being even more pivotal in shaping the delivery of fibre-based communications services to New Zealanders.

NZRFG CEO Vaughan Baker has lauded the decision by CFH to engage more of his members.

He says CFH has already endorsed the NZRFG approach to fibre builds and the latest announcement reinforces that backing.

“We’ve long promoted the merits of the NZRFG’s locally owned, regionally focused approach to a national fibre build and I believe the addition of Vector to prioritised contract negotiations is further recognition of the expertise that Vector and the NZRFG members possess in building world leading fibre networks,” says Mr Baker.

“Every NZRFG member remains willing and able to construct government-backed fibre networks now. Many of them already have fibre networks well established and as a group we are determined to spread fibre-driven broadband speeds of at least 100Mbit/s throughout the country.

“I would like to think more NZRFG members will make it to the negotiating table in the coming weeks,” says Mr Baker.

The Government-backed ultra-fast broadband (UFB) network was started by Northpower in Whangarei before Christmas. Northpower sits alongside Ultra Fast Fibre Limited (owned by WEL Networks and comprising fellow members Waipa and Velocity Networks) as the first fibre providers under the Government’s UFB initiative. Ultra Fast Fibre is set to take fibre into Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Hawera and Tokoroa.

Alpine Energy remains in negotiations over a fibre build for Timaru, Enable Networks in Christchurch and Rangiora and Flute Network in Dunedin.

I can’t stress enough that a regional approach and local ownership, combined with fully utilising existing infrastructure - and in some cases well established ultra-fast fibre networks - for what is a utility network build, is the key to the UFB initiative reaching its potential. It is the business model we have proposed from day one,” says Mr Baker.

ENDS

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