S Taranaki: Chorus invests further $3.5m to rev up broadband

Chorus invests a further $3.5m to rev up broadband speeds in South Taranaki

Local telecommunications network operator Chorus has begun the next stage in its work to rev up broadband speeds in South Taranaki by deploying a 25km fibre optic cable from Hawera to Patea and a 12km cable from Stratford to Eltham.

Both cables are scheduled to be completed by the end of June at a cost of around $3.5 million and are part of a massive investment project which builds on the 350km of fibre optic cable already in the local network.

The amount of fibre optic cable in the wider Telecom network has passed the 27,000km mark, with the amount of new fibre being laid by Chorus eclipsing traditional copper cabling for the first time.

Chorus Head of Field Services Ed Beattie said that these new cables will provide the platform for increased telecommunications capacity in the region and is part of Telecom’s commitment to enable the delivery of broadband connections of at least 10Mbps to 80 percent of New Zealanders by the end of the year.

"The greater transmission capacity provided by fibre optic cables will support high-speed data services for Patea and Eltham, such as ADSL2+ broadband connectivity, as well as act as the springboard for even faster speeds in the future,” he said.

As work progresses along State Highway 3, the road shoulder adjacent to the immediate area of work may be closed and temporary driving speed restrictions put in place as technicians use specialist equipment to deploy fibre optic cable.

“We would like to thank motorists for their patience as we work to upgrade the network,” said Mr Beattie.

This project marks the third major upgrade to the South Taranaki telecommunications network in the last nine months. Chorus is close to completing its work to deploy 55 kilometres of fibre optic cable from Hawera to Opunake via Manaia, to help rev up broadband speeds in Opunake. In December, they completed the upgrade of the Hawera broadband network which means more than 4,500 customers are now within reach of high speed internet services.

Chorus is three quarters of the way through the rollout of 78 fibre-fed cabinets in New Plymouth with more than 13,000 customers now in reach of high-speed broadband services. By the end of this year, Chorus will complete the nationwide deployment of 3,600 fibre-fed cabinets and 2,500km of fibre optic cable.

ENDS

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