​$8.5 million invested as Chorus completes Greymouth UFB build

Chorus has completed its Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network build in Greymouth, meaning about 4000 households, businesses, schools and health facilities now have access to fibre.

Following the completion, Greymouth is the sixth town in New Zealand to have its fibre network completed under Chorus’ UFB programme.

“UFB has the potential to transform New Zealand’s economy, our communities, and the way we connect to the rest of the world, so we’re really looking forward to seeing how the Greymouth community can best take advantage of having world-class connectivity right on their door step,” Vanessa Oakley, Executive, Chorus.

“I firmly believe that the fibre network we are building today throughout New Zealand will be a visionary investment that future generations will thank us for.

“New Zealanders are already leading the world in their appetite for fibre. We have comfortably the fastest growth in the OECD, with more than 10 times the OECD average.

“And we’re already seeing Greymouth start to take advantage of this growing appetite.

“Businesses using fibre are experiencing seamless cloud computing, they’re sending large images and files, conducting meetings over smooth HD video conferencing and hosting multiple users and devices, all on the same Internet connection.”

Oakley says Chorus is building about 70 percent of the UFB network in a public-private partnership with the Government.

Chorus is about 45 per cent of the way through the rollout of the UFB network, which is New Zealand’s largest ever communications project.

All up, Chorus’ UFB network will run past more than 830,000 homes, businesses, schools and health facilities throughout the country by the end of 2019.

As well as Greymouth, Chorus has also completed UFB build work in Oamaru, Ashburton, Blenheim, Timaru and Taupo.

Across New Zealand, fibre uptake remains strong, with more than 86,000 premises now connected to a fibre service in Chorus’ UFB areas.

In total however, Greymouth has become the twelfth New Zealand town to be fully-fibred under the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband programme.

“Around 4000 homes, businesses, schools and health facilities in Greymouth are now able to connect to ultra-fast internet using our world class fibre-to-the-premise network,” adds Amy Adams, Communications Minister.

“Ensuring our regions have the best possible access to connectivity will help the West Coast regional economy to diversify and develop. It will also help build tourism and provide a platform to attract investment and migrants to the region.

“The West Coast is one of New Zealand’s more remote regions and today’s completion of the UFB build in Greymouth provides a huge boost to the town’s ability to attract new people and businesses.”

Adams says Greymouth is the first town where Chorus has connected fibre to power poles just below existing electricity lines thanks to an agreement reached with local lines company Westpower - this has allowed the build to be completed in just under two years.

According to Adams, the total investment in Greymouth’s UFB build by the Government and its partner Chorus was nearly $8.5 million.

With uptake sitting at 6.9 per cent, Adams encouraged residents and businesses to sign up to the network and experience the full benefit of high speed broadband.

“To help extend connectivity further we’ve set aspirational targets that aim to see virtually all Kiwis, regardless of where they live or work, able to access broadband at peak speeds of 50 Megabits per second speed by 2025,” Adams adds.

“We’ve also allocated an additional $360 million dollars in Budget 2015 to extend the Ultra-Fast Broadband and Rural Broadband Initiatives and create a Mobile Black Spot Fund to improve coverage on highways and tourist areas.”