Over half of Rolleston is now connected to fibre broadband

26 April 2016

Over half of Rolleston is now connected to fibre broadband

Today 52 percent of homes and businesses in Rolleston are connected and benefiting from fibre broadband – a remarkable uptake rate that sees the town leading the country.

New Zealand’s national ultra-fast broadband (UFB) uptake rate is currently a little over 20 percent with some towns approaching 30 percent. Rolleston is well ahead with 52 percent of its community connected.

“There’s been talk of Rolleston becoming the town of the future since its inception in the 1970s – but today, with Enable’s help, its community is embracing technology that will drive its future growth,” says Enable CEO, Steve Fuller.

The national uptake rate places New Zealand near the top of some OECD measures on fibre broadband – most notably the growth of total fibre connections – with New Zealand’s position rapidly improving in other measures.

“National uptake is very good and Rolleston is two and half times ahead of it. It’s remarkable that more than half of the town is on fibre broadband in just two and a half years since we launched,” says Mr Fuller.

“This is a globally significant rate of adoption of a new technology by the Rolleston community.”

The almost 3,000 connections within the community include 1,000 new homes in new suburbs, 100 local businesses and the three primary schools.

“Fibre is transforming communities and changing lives. Fibre broadband removes the tyranny of distance, allowing local businesses to connect with their customers and potential customers wherever they are – through tools such as high-definition video.

The opportunity to work locally for leading companies that wouldn’t have set up in Rolleston without good connectivity is a reality.

“The three local schools are accessing the wealth of online education tools available to support modern learning, and families can make the most of the new proliferation of online entertainment,” says Mr Fuller.

“But the benefits are even greater than that. With everyone in the family connecting seamlessly between work, school and home, and spending less time commuting, families are spending more time together and in the community – and that has wide reaching benefits for the entire community,” adds Mr Fuller.

Selwyn District Mayor, Kelvin Coe shares Enable’s views that access to world-class fibre broadband across Rolleston and the rate at which local people are taking it up presents exciting opportunities for the town.

“It’s exciting to see Rolleston at the forefront of fibre broadband uptake,” he says. “Access to fast, reliable communication is a huge advantage for schools, businesses and households alike.

“Selwyn has been New Zealand’s fastest growing district in recent years, and we’re also experiencing strong economic growth – a robust communications infrastructure plays a big part in future-proofing our district as a great place to live, work and play.”

-Ends-

© Scoop Media