Chorus and the Crown begin ultra-fast broadband rollout

Chorus and the Crown begin ultra-fast broadband rollout

Chorus, New Zealand's largest telecommunications network operator together with Crown Fibre Holdings, has today begun the rollout of ultra-fast broadband (UFB) to more than 800,000 homes, businesses, schools and health premises.

Auckland's Albany industrial area is one of the first UFB candidate areas where fibre optic cables have been deployed, with work in Ashburton, Blenheim, Dunedin, Masterton, Napier-Hastings, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington set to begin in most of these places before Christmas.

UFB deployment plans for Feilding, Gisborne, Greymouth, Invercargill, Kapiti, Levin, Nelson, Oamaru, Pukekohe, Queenstown, Timaru, Waiheke Island, Waiuku and Whakatane are still being developed.

Chorus CEO Mark Ratcliffe said that today marks a major step on New Zealand's ultra fast broadband journey.

"We're eager to work with partners and communities to bring our fibre network closer to more New Zealanders than ever before,"

"By July next year, we'll have run the new network past more than 43,000 homes and businesses across the country and offered some 200 schools a fibre connection," said Ratcliffe.

"CFH is pleased with progress to date, with deployment of UFB fibre now underway in five cities, including New Zealand's largest," said Graham Mitchell, CEO of Crown Fibre Holdings. "We are on track towards seventy-five percent of New Zealanders having fibre to their door by the end of 2019."

In line with Government policy, fibre will be delivered first to priority customers, which includes schools, hospitals and businesses.

Chorus is working with a range of retail service providers to develop and launch new UFB wholesale services in the announced deployment areas in 2012. At the same time it is opening up access to its existing business fibre areas for UFB services at significantly reduced prices and offering a wider range of services.

"With a massive reduction in fibre pricing, retail service providers can connect businesses to ultra fast broadband today," said Ratcliffe.

This means many businesses can begin to connect to Chorus' existing fibre services ahead of the UFB network deployment.

Chorus has today launched an online map which outlines its UFB candidate areas, the first year deployment plans and its business fibre area (available on www.chorus.co.nz). This means people can check on the rollout progress and find out if they can connect to the existing business fibre network, so they can talk to their retail service provider about the options available to them.

As part of Telecom's UFB agreement with Crown Fibre Holdings, the deployment of the new fibre network has begun today to enable customers to connect to UFB services before a demerger of Chorus from Telecom is voted on by shareholders later this year.

Towns and suburbs included in Chorus' first year UFB rollout plans

The following is a list of the towns and suburbs which are included in
Chorus' first year plans (covering the period to 30 June 2012) to enhance the local broadband network and enable the delivery of ultra fast broadband.

Visit Chorus' online mapping tool to see the complete UFB candidate area and view its business fibre area where businesses can connect ahead of the UFB network deployment.

* Ashburton - Central Ashburton including Hampstead
* Auckland - Albany, Rosebank, Herne Bay, Grey Lynn, Remuera and East Tamaki
* Blenheim - Central Blenheim and Springlands
* Dunedin - North Dunedin
* Masterton - Central Masterton including premises north of Chapel Street
* Napier-Hastings - Napier airport area, Pandora, Hospital Hill and the Taradale Road industrial area
* Palmerston North - Central Palmerston North and some areas of Roslyn
* Rotorua - Central Rotorua, Fairly Springs, Mangakakahi and Fenton Park
* Taupo - Central Taupo
* Wellington Region - Porirua (Plimmerton, Papakowhai and Whitby), Kelson and Churton Park.

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