Fibre blitz on copper

Whangarei residents are receiving one of the most advanced next generation broadband networks ever seen in the North, or for that matter New Zealand - at speeds eclipsing traditional copper-based networks.

And the company behind the trend says this is just the start of a revolution.

Northpower’s new fibre-based broadband network is purpose built with no legacy restrictions.

It is allowing central city businesses and Kensington residents to access network speeds up to 100Mbit/s. Furthermore, the network is focused on providing unrivalled local service delivery.

In contrast, copper broadband access speeds vary depending on a number of conditions, with distance from the exchange or cabinet having the most significant impact. Fibre access speeds are much more consistent and are not subject to distance variations.

Northpower fibre manager Darren Mason says the company’s fibre network is quickly spurring the development of new service providers, some of whom are already offering competitively priced fibre-based residential phone and broadband packages for the first time.

“With the network speeds people are now accessing on our fibre, they are able to download information in seconds and transfer large data files with ease,” says Mr Mason.

“The transfer of data files and advent of cloud computing is a major boost to local businesses but the same will apply to health and educational facilities as more connections are made around Whangarei and eventually throughout the entire Northland region.”

Mr Mason says people need only consider what life would be like without power to gain an insight into what innovations will develop on a fibre platform.

“One hundred years ago the first light was switched on in New Zealand. Now look at what we expect to be able to do when we walk in the door of our homes.

“We are absolutely reliant on electricity and it has been immensely beneficial to society. Fibre is beginning to do the same and we haven’t begun to see what will develop from it.”

Northpower, a member of the New Zealand Regional Fibre Group, is currently bidding to be part of the Government’s urban ($1.5 billion) and rural ($300 million) broadband initiatives designed to take ultra-fast fibre broadband speeds to the majority of New Zealanders within ten years.

Success for Northpower could result in a rapid expansion of its fibre network throughout Whangarei over the next three years, and beyond that, the rest of the North.

“Along with the other 18 member companies of the NZRFG, we have backed the Government on this initiative from day one but we were underway with a fibre network anyway. Northland is now one of the leaders in fibre to the door developments in New Zealand.

“Through the efforts of Northpower we have put Northland in the spotlight. We certainly have the attention of the Telco industry right now and we are proud of putting Northland first and foremost.

“We believe we’ve put a compelling proposal to the Government that will achieve its goals in providing New Zealand with a quality, future-proof fibre network for Northland.”

Decision time on preferred network build partners for the UFB initiative is in October.

For more information on fibre to the door visit:

www.fibretothedoor.co.nz
www.nzrfg.co.nz

or the Northpower Kensington project

http://northpower.com/network/fibre_optics/kensington

ENDS

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