Roll out of ultra fast broadband underway in Auckland

The roll out of ultra fast broadband to more than 1.4 million Aucklanders got underway today as Chorus deployed the first fibre in the city under the government's Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative.

Steven Joyce, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, says the UFB initiative is essential for continued growth in Auckland.

"Fibre with ultra fast capability will mean business people, innovators and entrepreneurs in our largest city can compete with anyone anywhere in the world. The barriers of distance and time will be almost completely removed by the UFB."

Under the UFB initiative Chorus is contracted to Auckland and 23 other centres over the next eight and a half years. Fibre will be rolled out across Auckland, including Whenuapai, Long Bay, Swanson, Papuka and Drury. Deployment will cover a population of more than 1.4 millions as well as 24,200 business premises, more than 400 schools and more than 2,500 medical and other healthcare services. 17,500 Auckland premises will be covered in the first year.

"Ultra-fast broadband provides opportunities for businesses to work in new ways, schools to connect students to resources around the globe and for specialist medical expertise to be available in more places through technologies like high-definition video conferencing," says Mr Joyce,

"Because we're delivering fibre to the door, ultra-fast speeds will also be available at home, driving increased connectivity and access to new media and applications.

"The fibre-optic network will be open to retailers on equal terms, boosting market competition.

"Wholesale prices will be as low as half the price of current offerings for business services and residential customers will enjoy a vastly improved service for as much as they currently pay, or less," says Mr Joyce.

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