Minister for Communications |
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| 17 June 2016 |
Media Statement |
$40m Rotorua UFB build completedRotorua’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout is now complete, meaning nearly 27,000 local residents can connect to New Zealand’s growing fibre network, says Communications Minister Amy Adams. In Rotorua to mark the completion today, Ms Adams says 18 of the 33 towns and cities included under UFB phase one are now complete. “Building UFB across the country is an enormous undertaking. It’s the biggest infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history, and it’s being delivered on budget and ahead of schedule,” says Ms Adams. Chorus is the largest build partner in the UFB rollout, and has been responsible for the build in Rotorua – their largest UFB build to date. Ms Adams says UFB uptake in Rotorua is above the national average at 22.6 per cent as of the end of March, and that with the network now complete, every month will see UFB penetration increase markedly. “Schools, homes and businesses are rapidly discovering the benefits of faster broadband. New Zealanders tell us repeatedly that once they have fibre, they wonder how they ever lived without it.” Thirty-one schools in Rotorua can connect to UFB as well as hospitals. The Rotorua build commenced in November 2011, and total investment exceeds $40 million. Since the UFB initiative began, the Government has allocated a further $360 million to extend faster broadband around the country and connect mobile blackspots. Media contact: Julian Light 021 243 8528 or Lauren Wallis 021 918 329 Towns now complete: Whangarei, Te Awamutu, Oamaru, Cambridge, Tokoroa, Hawera, Ashburton, Blenheim, Whanganui, Taupō, Timaru, Greymouth, Masterton, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Hamilton, Waiuku and Rotorua. Rotorua UFB at a glance: · Rotorua is the 18th town completed · Almost 27,000 households and businesses are able to connect · 31 schools and hospitals are able to connect · $40m investment · Uptake is 22.6 per cent, or 6047 connected |
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