Chorus and FX Networks begin $12.4m fibre project

MEDIA RELEASE - 28th September

Chorus and FX Networks begin $12.4m fibre project to enhance Gisborne’s network

Chorus and FX Networks have begun a $12.4m project to lay some 190 kilometres of fibre optic cable from Gisborne around the East Cape, delivering critically important network diversity and putting 16 rural schools in reach of ultra-fast broadband.

This project is part of the government’s Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), which is jointly funded by government and industry, and it’s expected to be completed by July 2013.

Once in place, the new fibre link will help support high speed data services into Gisborne, which is currently solely reliant on the one fibre link coming out of Napier. This joint project also sees a faster than originally planned RBI rollout on the East Cape, putting ultra fast broadband in reach of 16 East Cape schools 18 months ahead of schedule.

Chorus General Manager of Network Build Chris Dyhrberg said that this is a great example of two network providers coordinating their work to deploy fibre faster to benefit the local community.

“By working together, both Chorus and FX Networks avoid network duplication and can enhance the region’s fibre services far quicker than if we tried to on our own,”

“We’ve seen first hand the difference that fibre technology makes in the way students experience the Internet. This joint project means we can put more than 1,000 East Cape pupils in reach of ultra fast broadband by July next year,” said Dyhrberg.

“Inter-city fibre construction is a strength FX Networks has developed with nearly 3,000km built in the last eight years.” adds David Heald, CEO of FX Networks. “The new industry landscape forged by the Government’s Ultrafast Broadband and Rural Broadband initiatives is very conducive to industry partnerships and this is a fine example of that. We are delighted to be contributing to the RBI, extending our own network, and to be furthering an already strong relationship with Chorus”.

The East Cape RBI fibre project will put ultra fast broadband services in reach of these local schools:

Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa
TKKM o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti
Te Waha O Rerekohu Area School
TKKM o Taperenui a Whatonga
Tikitiki School
TKKM o Te Waiu o Ngati Porou
Ngata Memorial College
Hiruharama
Makarika
Te Puia Springs
T K KM o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru
Hatea-a-Rangi
Kahutia Brown
Tolaga Bay Area School
Whangara
Potaka

As part of the wider RBI programme of work, Chorus will put 1035 rural schools and 51 hospitals in reach of broadband services capable of peak speeds of 100Mbps. It will also install or upgrade 1,000 fibre-fed cabinets to enable broadband with peak speeds of at least 5Mbps to about 57 per cent of rural customers by the end of 2015.

ENDS.

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