UFB Receives Strong Interest from Service Providers

MEDIA RELEASE

UFB Receives Strong Interest from Service Providers

Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) over fibre is proving an attractive proposition in the market, with thirteen (13) telecommunications service providers indicating they want to sell the new UFB service to customers.

These service providers have signed Letters of Intent to retail UFB services:
• CallPlus (Slingshot)
• FX Networks
• Kordia
• MaxNet
• Orcon
• Rural Link (Hamilton)
• TrustPower Kinect (Tauranga)
• Uber Group (Whangarei)
• Velocity Networks (Hamilton)
• Vodafone
• Woosh
• WorldXChange
• XfNet (Whangarei)

CFH expects retailers’ product offerings and prices to flow through to the market in coming weeks.

“We’ve worked hard to make wholesale services affordable and we’re delighted that’s been acknowledged in the strong interest received from so many retail service providers,” said Graham Mitchell, Crown Fibre Holdings CEO.

“One key to the success of the UFB initiative is a wide range of retail service providers offering new and exciting products. Given the attractive UFB wholesale prices, retailers will be able to offer superior internet and voice services for much the same price as customers pay for communications over copper today. There’s also the ability to offer high definition video, and in the business market, the full benefits of cloud computing.”

Chief Executive of the Telecommunications Users Association of NZ (TUANZ), Paul Brislen welcomed the news.

"It'll be great to see some retail prices out there so our users can plan their future telecommunications spend. The more competition the better in our view. TUANZ looks forward to seeing innovative and competitive pricing from these retailers."

The UFB initiative will enable increased productivity and lower total cost of ownership for business, improved service delivery in health, as well as greater engagement in education and enriched communications and entertainment at home.

-Ends-
Background on Crown Fibre Holdings and the UFB initiative:
• CFH has been established to manage the Crown's investment in ultra-fast broadband infrastructure over a ten year period.
• In October 2009, an Invitation to Participate was released.
• In January 2010, initial responses were received.
• In August 2010 refined proposals were received.
• In September 2010, CFH announced prioritised negotiations with three parties and shortlisted 11 other parties.
• In December 2010, the Government announced that it had accepted CFH’s recommendations to form the first two Local Fibre Companies, in partnership with Northpower for Whangarei and UltraFast Fibre Ltd for the Central North Island.
• In December 2010 the UFB build commenced with the inaugural UFB connection in Whangarei.
• In December 2010 CFH elected to negotiate with three additional parties – Telecom, Enable and Flute.
• In February 2011 CFH elected to negotiate with Vector Limited and in March 2011 with the Central Fibre consortium.

ENDS

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