Telecom rolls out ultra-fast fibre

Telecom launched its next generation ultra-fibre broadband (UFB) package in the effort to provide an enhanced online experience today.

The country's largest internet provider is the first telecommunications company to introduce the service in NZ aiming to ensure 75 per cent of Kiwis have access to UFB in their homes, schools and small businesses by 2020.

The national roll-out is a Government-led initiative with four UFB partners (Enable, Chorus, North Power and UltraFast Fibre Limited) currently installing fibre optical cabling across the country.

Telecom retail chief executive Chris Quin says it is appropriate to have national pricing within reach of customers by creating simple, competitively priced plans based on a choice.

'Our entry-level residential Ultra Fibre (Fibre 30 with 50GB) will be $95 per month based on a 12 month contract.

'We're confident our pricing will appeal to customers given that they will enjoy the same amount of data, with all the added benefits of UFB, for the same or not much more than they pay for their existing broadband plan.”

However, statistics released last month show 4000 customers have signed up out of the available 134,000 with the Government investing more than $1.3billion dollars in the fibre network.

UFB is currently not available to Tauranga residents because they are under UltraFast Fibre Limited rather than Chorus who are partnered with 70 per cent of the UFB market.

Telecom media/PR advisor Holly Linnell says it will be some time before Tauranga residents are introduced to the technology as more research and improvements to the national grid need to be reached.

'We are not at the point to confirm the time when we will be able to partner the UFB with Tauranga.”

Initially the UFB will be available within the Chorus footprint including parts of Auckland, Blenheim, Dunedin, Hastings, Levin, Napier, Nelson, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Rotorua, Timaru and Wellington.

Ashburton, Masterton, Taupo and Invercargill can expect Ultra Fibre within the next few months.

Chris says the roll-out of UFB is an exciting time for New Zealand given the advancements it offers Kiwis in terms of how they communicate and connect, personally and professionally.

'We're going through a major connectivity transformation and Telecom is here to assist customers navigate what is essentially an exciting new world with a data future.

'Over the past year, broadband data usage among our customers has increased by over 70 per cent, placing greater demands on existing broadband and mobile technology and demonstrating the growing role data plays in our lives.

'UFB will provide even better and faster online experiences like smoother streaming for multiple users and enhanced business productivity through greater time efficiencies. It has the potential to transform learning – better supporting our next generation of digital natives – and future proofing us for technology we can't even imagine yet.”

Telecom has spent the last year developing and internally trialling UFB with staff in their homes and the company is now at the point it feels comfortable launching a commercial product.

But, Chris stresses refinement will continue during the coming years as more and more customers make the transition to UFB.

'We're here to support them make the transition from ADSL broadband to Ultra Fibre. It's an entirely new journey for New Zealand - we anticipate a few bumps along the way - but we're committed to making the ride as smooth as possible for our customers and will be working hard to get it right for them.”

Telecom will assist customers through the Ultra Fibre set-up and installation process with research showing many Kiwis are still unsure about what is involved. The company has an online calculator (http://www.telecom.co.nz/packages/packages/plansandpricing/datacalculator) to help people understand how much data they are currently using and which Ultra Fibre plan is best for them.

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16 comments

Not to Tauranga though...

Posted on 27-03-2013 15:20 | By wreck1080

Sunlive, please find out why Tauranga is not on the list?


Not likely

Posted on 27-03-2013 16:46 | By Thoughtful

Currently paying approx $50 per month for 30gb which is more than sufficient for our household needs. Unlikely to want to double that cost just so it goes faster!


Whatever

Posted on 27-03-2013 17:17 | By Sambo

all this is wonderful news Telecom, but if you are selling a product you better make sure all your contractors know what they are doing, as with my experience from getting "ultra fast broadband" installed, the contractors you employ have degrees in leisure studies from the Taihape Polytech, because they sure as hell cannot read a drainage plan, as I am positive the cable is not supposed to go through the sewer line, or our City Care supervisor who blatantly lied to me, then had his staff spend 2 weeks digging up the pavement to find the problem, then another week to fix 2 holes that were dug, and funniest of all turning up fixing 1 hole then going away for 4 days before finally arriving back to complete the entire disaster, you want to sell me another of your products P*SS OFF!!!!


wooow, reeeeaaalllyyyy???

Posted on 27-03-2013 18:41 | By psx-guru

...and telecom makes it sound so good... what a shame, because telecom is one of the reasons why new zealand is still in internet-stone-age. even third-world countries have faster internet than we do. they are bringing out the ULTRA-FAST fibre broadband, which has a speed up to 100Mbit/sec. well... at least it's faster than the current crap they provide. BUT... america and parts of europe are already getting 1000Mbit/sec (Gigabit) internet-connections which are already 10x faster. so... what telecom wants to sell their customer is an already obsolete technology, and they want to bring it out till 2020??? that's a whopping 7 (seven) YEARS away! god knows what technology will be able by then! but that's just one side. let's say for a moment that their current fibre 100Mbit/sec speed is good and up-to-date. WHAT THE HELL should someone do with a 20GB or 50GB per MONTH plan??? with that speed you download the 50GB monthly allowance in 2 days!!! it all makes NOOOOOO sense, but they still try to sell their obsolete technology and pricing plans to kiwis. SHAME ON YOU telecom!!! :(


sounds

Posted on 27-03-2013 19:11 | By Capt_Kaveman

like stand over tactics again by telescum true to form,download speed at 10mps is fine what we need is the upload


no thanks

Posted on 28-03-2013 07:34 | By Major Think

In my opinion, my broadband has gotten slower in the last 6 months, so that Telecom can now sell a faster plan to me. No thanks. Just get the old broadband to work as fast as it is meant to.


Major Think

Posted on 28-03-2013 08:24 | By YOGI

Of course, that is good business practice, they tweak the available "pipe" all the time depending on demand and so on, what is the difference for this so as to justify making more money of the new scheme.


Last again

Posted on 28-03-2013 11:12 | By jackb

New Zealand's 5th largest city - last to get UFB. Hope Simon Bridges is proud of that feat?


Clarifications

Posted on 28-03-2013 12:32 | By myfullflavour

There seems to be a lot of mis-information about this latest announcement based on reading some of these comments and comments on other articles.


Posted on 28-03-2013 12:33 | By myfullflavour

Wrong. Tauranga will actually be one of the first cities to have a full UFB roll-out completed. It's due to be completed by end of 2016 whereas most other areas in the country won't see completion until end of 2019. If the build past your premises is complete, you can sign up to UFB with a number of providers right now - EOL, Kinect, Orcon. My own company (Full Flavour Media) should be live on the network in May and I know of other ISPs not too far away from launching service to Tauranga.


Posted on 28-03-2013 12:34 | By myfullflavour

Does that include phone line? Telecom's UFB product is $95 for UFB Fibre broadband AND copper phone service.


Posted on 28-03-2013 12:35 | By myfullflavour

How much time have you spent in the US? I've spent a bit and as someone obsessed with the internet, it's not as fantastic as you make out. In many areas they face identical issues to New Zealand.


Posted on 28-03-2013 12:37 | By myfullflavour

Telecom's plans initiially don't come with limits but they reserve the right to implement limits down the track. Internet competition is heavy in New Zealand and you'll see higher caps as time goes on. If you don't like caps, fine. Vote with your feet and pick an ISP that does Unlimited (all you can eat) or as an alternative, Unmetered with Fair Use policy.


Posted on 28-03-2013 12:39 | By myfullflavour

Have you rung their Helpdesk about this? If they haven't been able to help, there is no reason why you can't vote with your feet and try another ISP.


Little wonder

Posted on 28-03-2013 14:13 | By pomfart

that this country lags behind Oz and the rest of the world when the 5th largest city is left behind the economic powerhouse of Timaru. Piss poor planning.


Incredible

Posted on 01-04-2013 20:58 | By Badduck

Open your eyes New Zealand, the world is bigger than Telecom and looking at TradeMe. Just imagine if there were other things you could UFB for. WOW, really?


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