New Zealand expanding national fiber network
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The New Zealand government plans to extend its Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) national fiber network to 190 more small towns.
The government has announced plans to spend NZ$130 million ($93.4 million) to extend the network to 60,000 new households and businesses across the nation and complete the UFB deployment by 2022.
A further NZ$130 million will be spent to expand the concurrent Rural Broadband Initiative (UFB) to bring non-fiber broadband to another 74,000 rural premises, and to extend mobile coverage to an extra 1,000km of rural highways as part of the Mobile Black Spot Fund.
The RBI involves a combination of upgrades to existing fixed line infrastructure and fixed wireless infrastructure.
“We started UFB in 2010 with the original goal of connecting 34 towns to world-class fibre-to-the-premises. Earlier this year we expanded it to 200 more towns and today’s announcement will bring us to 390,” New Zealand communications minister Simon Bridges commented.
Questions & Answers
Q.How many towns will the Ultra-Fast Broadband network ultimately reach after these new expansions?
How many towns will the Ultra-Fast Broadband network ultimately reach after these new expansions?
The initial goal was to connect 34 towns. Following an expansion to 200 more towns earlier this year, and the newly announced 190 towns, the UFB network will ultimately reach 390 towns across New Zealand.
Q.What is the total investment announced for broadband expansion, including both fiber and non-fiber initiatives?
What is the total investment announced for broadband expansion, including both fiber and non-fiber initiatives?
The government is spending NZ$130 million on the Ultra-Fast Broadband network expansion. An additional NZ$130 million is allocated to the Rural Broadband Initiative and Mobile Black Spot Fund, making a total announced investment of NZ$260 million.
Q.What is the primary difference in the technology used for the Rural Broadband Initiative compared to the Ultra-Fast Broadband network?
What is the primary difference in the technology used for the Rural Broadband Initiative compared to the Ultra-Fast Broadband network?
The Ultra-Fast Broadband network provides fibre-to-the-premises. In contrast, the Rural Broadband Initiative brings non-fiber broadband, using a combination of upgrades to existing fixed line infrastructure and new fixed wireless infrastructure.
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