Capital gets ultra fast broadband

The roll out of ultra fast broadband (UFB) in the Wellington region is now underway.

The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce, this morning joined with Chorus to deploy the first UFB-enabling network in the Lower Hutt suburb of Kelson this morning.

“9,200 premises will be passed with new fibre in the year to June 2012. By July next year the UFB rollout will be continuing in earnest across most of the region,” says Mr Joyce.

The deployment will cover a population of almost 390,000 as well as 7,900 business premises, more than 80 schools and more than 1,500 medical and other healthcare services.

In addition, over 1,100km of Chorus’ existing business fibre network in the region will be available at UFB prices to priority users (businesses, schools & health facilities) by Quarter 4. In total, between the existing fibre and new fibre, around 29,000 priority users and homes in the Wellington region will be passed by 30 June 2012.

The first suburbs off the blocks in Wellington will be Kelson, Churton Park, Papakowhai, Aotea, Whitby, Mana, Camborne and Plimmerton. Deployment will also soon get underway in Central Masterton in the Wairarapa, including premises north of Chapel Street.

Mr Joyce says the barriers of distance and time will be almost completely removed by the UFB.

“Fibre with ultra fast capability will mean business people, innovators and entrepreneurs in our capital city will have a platform from which to compete with anyone anywhere in the world.

"Ultra-fast broadband provides opportunities for businesses to work in new ways, schools to connect students to resources around the globe, and for specialist medical expertise to be available in more places through technologies like high-definition video conferencing.

“Because we’re delivering fibre to the door, ultra-fast speeds will also be available at home, driving increased connectivity and access to new media and applications.

"The fibre-optic network will be open to retailers on equal terms, boosting market competition.

”Wholesale prices will be as low as half the price of current offerings for business services and residential customers will enjoy a vastly improved service for as much as they currently pay, or less,” says Mr Joyce.