UFB delivers early Christmas present to businesses

Minister for Communications

  Media statement

UFB delivers early Christmas present to businesses

The Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative has been rolled out to at least 200,000 businesses across New Zealand – ahead of schedule and within budget.

“In 2009, the Government promised to make businesses a top priority for delivery of UFB,” says Communications Minister Amy Adams.

“We’ve met that goal two months earlier than we hoped, which means more New Zealand entrepreneurs and operators can connect to speeds of at least 100 Mbps.”

As part of the UFB programme, the Government concentrated deployment to priority users (schools, hospitals and businesses) in the first six years of the initiative. The aim was 90 per cent of businesses within UFB coverage areas being able to connect by December 2015.

Ms Adams says new figures suggest the rate of deployment is looking even better.

“Around 95 per cent of business premises within the UFB coverage areas can now connect to faster, more reliable broadband. That’s over 200,000 individual firms, stores and traders who now have a massive opportunity to compete on the world stage,” says Ms Adams.

Research released by the Innovation Partnership earlier last year found that benefits of up to $34 billion to the economy could be delivered in productivity and efficiency gains, if businesses made effective use of the internet.

“UFB provides enormous opportunities for businesses, in terms of innovation and global reach. As one of New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, the programme is lifting connectivity and productivity for businesses right across New Zealand,” says Ms Adams.

“Our focus is now on extending the programme even further with an additional $210 million to an extra 200,000 New Zealanders.”

Media contact: Julian Light 021 243 8528