Media Release

9 July 2007.

Broadband coverage extended

The West Coast’s broadband coverage extended a step closer to 97% of residence covered this month with two significant areas, Blur Spur and Carters Beach having their networks upgraded to enable broadband.

Both projects saw fibre optic cable laid and transfer of customer from copper to a new fibre service cabinet.

Sixty customers will benefit at Blue Spur where the project is also expected to meet the growth of the new development in this area. Residents at Carters Beach have had a wait as the project involved laying the fibre from Westport. All 180 customers at Carters Beach will now be able to get the service.

Kaniere Forks, which only required a minor upgrade to the cabinet, has also been enabled.

Work is also underway on installing a wireless network off the Gloriavale community network to the residents of the Haupiri and Kopara areas and should be completed in July.

The installations are the first of 12 areas to be enabled as part of the West Coast Development Trust’s Broadband Challenge Fund project which is jointly funded in the West Coast region by the government and Telecom.

Further areas to be upgraded to cater for broadband include Arahura and Nelson Creek (operable August), the Waitaha Valley, the Paroa/ Rutherglen area and Karamea’s Umere Rd and North Beach (November) and Kowhitirangi and Whataroa (Dec 08).

ENDS

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