Orcon: False perceptions prevent Kiwis going ultra-fast

Installation worries and high-cost contract fears are still preventing Kiwis getting ultra-fast broadband.

The presumed hassle of installation and supposed high-cost of contracts are preventing many Kiwis upgrading to ultra-fast broadband (UFB), according to the results of a new survey released by internet service provider Orcon today.

The fibre survey of 443 Orcon customers revealed that despite more than 80% are aware that UFB is available at their home address, nearly 40% (39.5%) were put off upgrading due to the supposedly complicated installation process.

A further 37% said the cost of plans had put them off – despite residential plans for UFB being comparable with regular ADSL.

Orcon general manager Mike Shirley believes this lack of understanding is preventing many Kiwis experiencing the huge benefits of UFB.

“I want to get a clear message out there that installing and upgrading to UFB is not the difficult process many wrongly believe it to be,” Shirley says.

“It’s easy, straight forward and a product we want everyone to be able to feel the benefits of – not just the privileged few.

“As our Gigatown competition winners in Dunedin are discovering, at $95 a month for unlimited gigabit broadband, it doesn’t cost a lot more than the majority of ADSL or VDSL packages.

“Where necessary Chorus will even speak with the neighbours to make sure permission has been agreed."

As the popularity of streaming music and video continues to grow, Shirley says UFB is increasingly being seen as an essential product that prevents buffering and opens up new remote working opportunities.

UFB is ideally suited to busy homes with lots of devices connected to the internet, such as smart phones, tablets, televisions and laptops.

The survey revealed that 40% of respondents were using more than 40Gbs of data a month – an amount that’s most likely leading to slow download times for traditional ADSL users.

“Orcon was the first company in New Zealand to offer UFB but it’s clear we need to do more to help people better understand UFB, its easy installation, competitive costs and huge benefits," Shirley adds.

“We’re already supplying services to more than 60,000 New Zealand businesses and homes and by better informing people of UFB we hope to supply many thousands more.”

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