Ultrafast Fibre planning advanced for smaller communities

MEDIA RELEASE
16 November 2017

Ultrafast Fibre planning advanced for smaller communities

The roll out of high-speed fibre broadband by Ultrafast Fibre (UFF) to an additional 15 smaller communities across Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Taranaki is entering the design stage.

Once completed, the additional fibre infrastructure will mean high-speed data access for an extra 4,500 homes and businesses. The new increased footprint for UFF will in some cases extend fibre- laying work that is already planned, or will encompass areas nearby the current or future network.

The additional network expansion is a joint venture between UFF and the Government’s Crown Infrastructure Partners agency.

UFF successfully completed deployment of a 3,000 kilometre fibre optic network to eight central North Island cities and towns in 2015 under the first tranche of the Ultra-fast Broadband initiative.

UFF Chief Executive, William Hamilton, says the demand for fibre is continuing to grow, and like other places without fibre, these smaller communities can’t get high speed broadband soon enough.

“We’d like to be able to offer connections to these latest communities immediately, however apart from a few cases where we might be extending an existing build already underway, it is likely to be a couple of years before this latest phase of work is planned and completed,” says Mr Hamilton.

However, he says these communities can plan with certainty that they are included in Ultra-fast Broadband roll out.

The fifteen additional areas to be covered as part of the UFB2+ programme are: Omokoroa, Matapihi and Aongatete in the Bay of Plenty; Tamahere/Matangi/Tauwhare Pa, Tauwhare, Cambridge North, Hautapu, Kihikihi, Templeview, Te Kowhai, Rotokauri, Tirau and Parkdale in Waikato; and The Mercade and Brixton in Taranaki.

UFF is proudly 100 per cent Community-owned through WEL Networks Ltd and Waipa Networks Ltd.

ENDS

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