Ultra-Fast Broadband reaches 190 more towns

The Government is investing $270 million to roll out Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) to 190 more small towns, and extend rural broadband to another 74,000 households and businesses, reports Communications Minister Simon Bridges.

“We’re also bringing the completion of the UFB network forward by two years,” says Bridges.

“By the end of 2022, our UFB programme will provide more than four million New Zealanders with access to world-class internet.”

“Today’s announcement brings our total investment in rolling out world-leading communications infrastructure to more than $2 billion,” he says, in a statement.

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We’re also bringing the completion of the UFB network forward by two years.Communications Minister Simon Bridges

The investment is made up of:

• $130 million to extend UFB to another 60,000 households and businesses in 190 new towns and complete the network by 2022.
• $140 million to extend rural coverage of high speed broadband under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) to another 74,000 rural households and businesses, and to deliver mobile coverage on 1000 kilometres of rural highways and more than 100 tourist areas through the Mobile Black Spot Fund (MBSF).

“Once complete, New Zealand will be in the top five countries in the OECD for access to high speed broadband. Considering that in 2011 we were placed 26th with very little connectivity, that will be a fantastic achievement.”

“By 2022, 87 per cent of New Zealanders will have access to UFB and 99 per cent will have access to high speed internet.”

He says the $270 million programme will be funded by $240 million of recycled capital from earlier stages of the UFB programme and $30 million from the Telecommunications Development Levy.

“This investment is a vital part of the Government’s plan to support regional growth and develop a productive and competitive economy.”

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