85 per cent of Kiwis will have access to fibre by end of 2024

Prime Minister Bill English and Communications Minister Simon Bridges have announced the second, $300 million phase of the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband programme in Amberley, north Canterbury.

Bridges says the extension exceeds the government’s original target of 80 per cent by 2022. “This will put New Zealand among the leaders in the OECD for access to fibre,” says Bridges, in a statement.

The first phase of the Government’s UFB programme is ahead of schedule in delivering fibre to the premises of 75 per cent of New Zealanders by 2019.

The Amberley launch marked the awarding of contracts between Crown Fibre Holdings and four partner companies: Northpower, Ultrafast Fibre, Chorus and Enable.

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The more people who can access fibre, the more future proof New Zealand becomes.Jordan Carter, InternetNZ

Industry leaders welcomed the announcement to extend the UFB initiative to a further 151 towns including Amberley, Whangamata, Bluff and Muriwai under the UFB2 extension project.

Today’s announcement is welcome because it continues to reduce the copper gap that exists for the people who were originally left out of the UFB project by extending the programme to another 151 towns, says Craig Young, CEO of TUANZ. “We are also pleased to see the inclusion of several areas on the fringe of the current cities that were also left out of the original plans.”

Craig Young, TUANZ CEO

The new 85 per cent target is very impressive, says InternetNZ Chief Executive Jordan Carter. “The more people who can access fibre, the more future proof New Zealand becomes.”

“The broadband experience on the highest speed plans is truly transformative and I think it’s fantastic that New Zealanders in towns such as Amberley will soon be on a par with Singapore,” says MyRepublic managing director Vaughan Baker.

“We’re a creative nation and access to world leading UFB will allow more people to join the revolution – which ultimately will mean more jobs and economic growth.”

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