| Hon Amy Adams
Minister for Communications
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| 7 August 2015 | Media statement |
| Nearly one million homes and businesses now able to access better broadbandThe Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) build and Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) are together already providing nearly one million New Zealand premises with better connectivity, Communications Minister Amy Adams says.
The latest quarterly report for phase one of the UFB and RBI builds as at 30 June 2015 shows 724,000 homes, schools and workplaces can now connect to UFB. More than 269,000 rural addresses are now able to connect to RBI. The latest numbers also show that the number of end users connected to UFB has increased by 24 per cent to 106,025. “The UFB build is over the halfway mark and as the network expands, the rate at which people are signing up for fibre is accelerating. At 14.6 per cent, the uptake rate has quadrupled from what it was two years ago,” Ms Adams says. “Improved connectivity also means schools, hospitals and businesses are able to work smarter and experience better results.” The UFB rollout to schools is 96 per cent complete with 2324 schools now able to connect. All schools will be able to connect by the end of the year. Over 93,000 fixed lines have been upgraded under the RBI to receive faster copper-based broadband. Under RBI, the new tower build is 75 per cent complete, with 116 new towers now ready for service. Tower upgrades are now 81 per cent complete, with 314 towers upgraded. These new and upgraded towers mean more than 242,000 rural addresses are now able to connect to fixed wireless RBI. “Across the two component parts (improved copper and fixed wireless), total uptake under RBI is now at 33 per cent,” Ms Adams says. In addition to better broadband services, the RBI has also seen more than 1.4 million individual customers access mobile services from the 116 new towers in the previous quarter alone. The full quarterly update can be found at: www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/technology-communication/fast-broadband/deployment-progress. Media contact: Kristy Martin 022 015 8039 At a glance: · 724,253 Kiwis able to connect to UFB · 106,025 connected – a 24% increase on last quarter · Uptake rate is 14.6% – quadrupled in last two years · 2324 schools connected – 96% now complete · 93,000 rural premises able to access improved copper services · 116 new towers built – 75% complete · 314 towers upgraded – 81% complete · 242,814 addresses able to connect to fixed wireless RBI · RBI uptake at 33% |
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