Hon Amy Adams Minister for Communications and Information Technology
9 May, 2013	Media Statement

UFB and RBI continues good progress

The latest quarterly report on the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband and Rural Broadband programmes shows good progress was made in the first three months of this year.

The report released by Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams shows nearly 1500 schools are able to access the Government’s ultra-fast broadband network.

In addition, 26 of the most remote schools in New Zealand now have access to broadband capable of peak speeds of at least 10 megabits per second, which is about four times faster than previous services.

The report also shows fibre was rolled out to more than 36,000 end users across New Zealand during the first three months of this year. This brings the total number of homes and businesses that can now connect to the Government’s UFB network to more than 171,000.

More than 5100 customers have already made the decision to subscribe to a fibre-based service under the UFB programme. This is in line with government expectations and overseas experiences at this early stage of deployment.

In addition, more than 100,000 rural households are now able to connect to improved wireless broadband through Vodafone under the RBI, and more than 42,000 users have access to better fixed-line broadband through Chorus.

Six new towers have been installed so far this year by Vodafone in Manawatu-Wanganui, Southland, Grey District, Westland, Northland and the Wairarapa.

Vodafone also upgraded 14 towers, and Chorus upgraded 77 roadside cabinets with fibre during the first three months of the year.  To date, there have been 36 new towers installed and 145 upgraded, and 407 cabinets upgraded.

UFB and RBI quarterly report.pdf

Media contact: Nathan Beaumont 021 243 8412

Note to journalists: Attached is a quarterly broadband deployment update (1 January – 31 March 2013)

Ultra-Fast Broadband background: UFB is a government programme to expand and develop New Zealand’s broadband services.

UFB will bring fibre optic technology to businesses, schools, hospitals, marae and homes, enabling 75 per cent of New Zealanders to access fibre to the premise by the end of 2019.

Schools, hospitals and 90 per cent of businesses in the coverage area will be connected by 2016.  Homes and the remaining 10 per cent of businesses will be connected by 2019.

Fibre will be capable of peak speeds of at least 100 Mbps. The Government is contributing $1.35 billion to the initiative, with further investment by the UFB partners.

Rural Broadband Initiative background: The RBI has been implemented by the Government to address the specific broadband infrastructure needs of rural New Zealand. The Government is contributing $300 million, with further investment from the RBI partners.

Combined with the UFB programme, it will mean 97.8 per cent of New Zealanders will have access to faster broadband.