Otahuhu High Speed Broadband Roll-Out Completed

Otahuhu High Speed Broadband Roll-Out Completed

Thousands more Otahuhu residents can now benefit from faster internet access as local telecommunications network operator Chorus completes its work to rev-up broadband speeds in the area.

Chorus has been working for the last three months deploying 27km of fibre optic cable and installing 31 new fibre fed cabinets to extend ADSL2+ broadband speeds to customers not already getting the faster internet experience following upgrade work at the local telephone exchange.

This massive investment programme has more than doubled the fibre already in the local network and is part of Telecom’s commitment to enable the delivery of broadband connections of at least 10Mbps to 80 percent of New Zealanders by the end of 2011.

Chorus Fibre-to-the-Node Programme Manager Ed Beattie said each cabinet is the equivalent of a mini telephone exchange.

“About 5,800 customers are now connected to the new fibre fed cabinets which contain ADSL2+ broadband equipment previously located in the local telephone exchange. The cabinets were required for these customers because the closer you are to the broadband equipment the faster your broadband speed is.

“Around half of homes connected to the new cabinets are within five hundred metres of our fibre optic cable network and ninety percent within one kilometre. This provides an ideal springboard for even faster broadband speeds in the future through VDSL2 technology and fibre to the home” he said.

Otahuhu customers who are near the local telephone exchange will continue to receive service directly from the broadband equipment located at the exchange.

Mr Beattie noted that although the broadband network has been upgraded, customers also have an important part to play in making the most of the new faster broadband capability.

“A customer’s broadband service is also affected by factors including their broadband plan, modem, computer, and the wiring in their home or business.

“We encourage Otahuhu residents who believe their broadband performance is still limited in some way to talk directly with their broadband service provider.”

Chorus’ focus is now on completing the deployment of 85 new fibre fed cabinets in Ellerslie and Onehunga before the end of September this year. In all, Chorus is over halfway through the roll out of about 3,600 fibre fed cabinets nationwide and they will connect a further 3,000km of fibre optic cable to Telecom’s 25,000km fibre optic within the next twelve months.

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