Northpower: Fibre expansion gathering speed

Media release

Fibre expansion gathering speed

Northpower is ramping up its broadband activity and turning to residential customers for the next phase of its ultra-fast 100Mbit/s fibre network.

The company has this week commenced a fibre expansion installing overhead fibre optic cable using the same model submitted in its bid to partner with the Government under the $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband initiative. The project will feature GPON technology and will provide open access ultra-fast broadband.

The estimated half a million dollar expansion will enable around 850 homes in the Kensington/Regent suburbs of Whangarei to receive fibre to the door over the next four months.

The project comes amidst a major fibre to the door awareness campaign by fellow New Zealand Regional Fibre Group member Vector, which features a television commercial, social media activity and a website for people to vote on whether they want an ultra-fast fibre broadband network.

Northpower fibre manager Darren Mason says the continued growth of Northpower’s fibre network is a reflection of activity amongst the broader NZRFG membership, which he says has long touted fibre to the door as the broadband solution for New Zealand.

“A lot of the NZRFG members are pushing on with their fibre builds. Naturally we are hoping to be successful with our bids to the Government but this isn’t stopping us progressing networks in our regions, simply because fibre-based broadband is the way of the future and in some ways we are playing catch-up with the rest of the world,” says Mr Mason.

“From this week we are rolling out fibre to more than 20 streets and we are offering all of those home owners fibre to their door. From there it is up to one of our providers – XFNet, TelstraClear, Uber Group, World Exchange and others who are signing on to be providers on the Northpower Network - to deliver the services people want, from telephone, internet, TV channels, to video on demand and more.”

Mr Mason says the fibre to the home installation will be followed by new and exciting offers from service providers, joining the Northpower fibre network. Such packages will be revealed as the build progresses.

“The advantage of having fibre right to your door is that you get fast, reliable and consistent broadband speeds – as opposed to fibre going only to a cabinet and then having to rely on copper to carry the signal the rest of the way. Fibre is a massive time saver for individuals and businesses.”

Many of Northpower’s Whangarei CBD business customers have already had a taste of fibre connections and Mr Mason believes the trend will catch on this year with far greater uptake of fibre connections – right to the doors of their homes.

“Fibre to the door is the way of the world and once people experience fibre they don’t go back (to copper broadband). Customers on our fibre network have a big data pipe. It can receive symmetrical broadband speeds of 100Mbit/s and that is really just the starting point for fibre. It’s up to the customers and the service providers as to how much the upload and download speeds are dialled up,” says Mr Mason.

ENDS

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

Editors Notes:
The NZRFG is a group of regional operators including lines companies and local fibre companies, which has come together to support the Government’s efforts to introduce ultra-fast broadband to New Zealand. Members include Alpine Energy, Aurora Energy, CityLink, Counties Power, Eastland Group, Electra, Electricity Ashburton, Enable Networks Ltd, Horizon Energy, Network Tasman, Network Waitaki, Northpower, PowerNet, Unison, Vector, Velocity, Waipa Networks, WEL Networks and Westpower.

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