Almost all homes to get free UFB connection - until 2016
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Government deal obliges Chorus, Enable and Northpower to provide free residential connections for distances of up to 200 metres from the road, until 2016
By Stephen Bell | Wellington | Thursday, 1 November, 2012 | 12 Comments
The government and Crown Fibre Holdings have reached agreement with UFB partners Chorus, Enable and Northpower that provides for free residential connections for distances of up to 200 metres per house from the road, until at least the end of 2015.
ICT Minister Amy Adams confirmed the deal today.
“While the provision of free connections was already in place for the vast majority of homes, the uncertainty for those classed as non-standard was creating some concern for retail service providers and the public,” she says in a statement. “Today’s announcement provides certainty for the next three years while we finalise negotiations for the remainder of the build period.”
The “200 metres per house” limit means that, for example, three houses sharing a common driveway will be allowed 600 metres of free connection.
The proportion of houses that fall outside the new limits is estimated at 0.3 percent, says Adams.
Originally, free connection through Chorus was only stipulated for “standard” residential premises. This was defined as:
• 15 metres of buried cable from the property boundary; or
• One span of overhead fibre cable from an existing pole; or
• 100 metres of fibre cable in an existing pipe or new pipe in a provided trench; or
• 5 metres of internal fibre cable from the point where the lead-in enters the premises (external termination point).
Chorus has earmarked an additional $20 million to fund the free installations that are beyond 15 metres, according to an announcement the company made to the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
Northpower and Enable were required to fund installations for residential customers that involved distances of up to 30 metres for buried fibre, 60 metres for aerial and 100 metres for approved conduit or open trench.
Chorus subsequently introduced a “free introductory trial” for retail service providers signing up to UFB. This was due to end in December.
The UFB partners have agreed to fund the majority of the additional connection package, whilst some additional value has been provided through negotiated technical changes in the respective contracts without increasing the government’s $1.35 billion total investment, says the minister’s announcement.
The remaining UFB partner company, Ultra-Fast Fibre, which operates in the central North Island, has already undertaken to provide free residential connections until 2019.
Computerworld first raised the non-standard UFB installation issue in April, after former TelstraClear CEO Allan Freeth complained that Chorus was pushing the extra costs onto Retail Service Providers.
Comments
Mr Dotcom has a real vision?
Here is a vision for NZ broadband from Mr Dotcom
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10844971
Is he right or wrong?
Posted by Anonymous at 7:33:43 on November 4, 2012
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10844971
Is he right or wrong?
Posted by Anonymous at 7:33:43 on November 4, 2012
Free for some
Amy is there any chance the Kiwis living in rural NZ can get a free servicelead down their driveways when they connect for the first time. We already have a lot of ares providing 10 MBps + broadband so why can't we also have the same privaledge. There are no other real options going to be available for rural kiwis living near adsl 2+ areas so why can't we have the same privaledge.
Posted by Ross at 15:44:28 on November 1, 2012
Posted by Ross at 15:44:28 on November 1, 2012
Free for some
'Tis a fair question this. Why would rural people just stand by and watch free 'lollies' handed out to the 75% of New Zealanders defined by the government as living in UFB urban areas?
We already willingly accept a lesser standard of service in so many things - roads, water, electricity supply, rates, telephone... and broadband. We do so as a matter of choice and I like so many, would not choose to go back to the city for better things.
The point is that the government are providing a handout to one section of the country and not another. This is simple discrimination and it is not unreasonable to question that.
And yes I know that Chorus and the other LFCs are the ones 'investing' in this handout. I wonder what the quid pro quo by the government is?
But the real question is, just how much extra should rural people have to pay for their broadband services (over what urban people pay) for the privilege of living where they choose?
Remember that the benefits of high speed broadband are touted to be around health, education, the provision of government services and economic development. It is rural people that stand to offer the highest economic benefits to the country in these aspects. Yet we have broadband services that for most, are and always will be, incapable of providing these services.
Posted by Rural Johnny at 11:01:36 on November 6, 2012
We already willingly accept a lesser standard of service in so many things - roads, water, electricity supply, rates, telephone... and broadband. We do so as a matter of choice and I like so many, would not choose to go back to the city for better things.
The point is that the government are providing a handout to one section of the country and not another. This is simple discrimination and it is not unreasonable to question that.
And yes I know that Chorus and the other LFCs are the ones 'investing' in this handout. I wonder what the quid pro quo by the government is?
But the real question is, just how much extra should rural people have to pay for their broadband services (over what urban people pay) for the privilege of living where they choose?
Remember that the benefits of high speed broadband are touted to be around health, education, the provision of government services and economic development. It is rural people that stand to offer the highest economic benefits to the country in these aspects. Yet we have broadband services that for most, are and always will be, incapable of providing these services.
Posted by Rural Johnny at 11:01:36 on November 6, 2012
Free for some
I did not realise some in the rural community were so sensitive. An idiot I may well be, but I am not a bludger. I am not the one asking for someone else to pay for or subsidise a service because of where I live.
Do you have a problem with your broadband service or lack of? The government effectively nationalised broadband when they launched the fibre / RBI initiative. Private investment to expand existing fixed and wireless infrastructure and add new immediately dropped away. NZ broadband has been standing still these last 4 years waiting for delivery of the brave new world.
Did you vote for a party who put the fibre/RBI policy as keystones of their 2008 campaigns (then again in 2011)?
You did?
Congratulations!
You are the root cause of the problem.
Posted by FORD at 14:09:49 on November 2, 2012
Do you have a problem with your broadband service or lack of? The government effectively nationalised broadband when they launched the fibre / RBI initiative. Private investment to expand existing fixed and wireless infrastructure and add new immediately dropped away. NZ broadband has been standing still these last 4 years waiting for delivery of the brave new world.
Did you vote for a party who put the fibre/RBI policy as keystones of their 2008 campaigns (then again in 2011)?
You did?
Congratulations!
You are the root cause of the problem.
Posted by FORD at 14:09:49 on November 2, 2012
Free for some
Thanks for your opinions and assumptions. Living in rural NZ why on earth would I have voted for a Government that was only going to provide fibre to cities larger than Oamaru. RBI is only going to give a fixed wireless , a mere straw compare with fibre. Not all but a lot of these cities already had or were about to get ADSL 2. I have always believed fibre was more important to rural NZ farms etc first as they were more likely to provide more of an economic boost to NZ initially as a lot had no DSL and barely a dialup service., then provide Fibre to the cities when there will actually be the use for the extra bandwidth available. We are still waiting for that killer app justifying fibre. Meanwhile enjoy you fibre , i can only hope you will use it for more than watching movies and gaming. Anyway National got the city votes. Looking forward to some vitriol.
Posted by Ross at 18:42:41 on November 2, 2012
Posted by Ross at 18:42:41 on November 2, 2012
Free for some
Solution - put your hand in your own pocket and pay for it. Don't expect the tax payer to give you a free lunch.
People in towns & cities get constant noise, an abundance of idiots and their friends, light pollution, atmospheric pollution and generally a lower quality of life.
You want to have your cake and to eat it too? How about the rural communities pay more taxes to remove those ills in exchange for DSL broadband?
Posted by Ford at 17:31:30 on November 1, 2012
People in towns & cities get constant noise, an abundance of idiots and their friends, light pollution, atmospheric pollution and generally a lower quality of life.
You want to have your cake and to eat it too? How about the rural communities pay more taxes to remove those ills in exchange for DSL broadband?
Posted by Ford at 17:31:30 on November 1, 2012
Free for some
Ford, you're complaining about light pollution? Perhaps if us rural types had street lamps, decent roads, perhaps some pavements, or any other amenity that we pay our rates for, and which whiners like you take for granted, you'd get more sympathy.
Posted by Anonymous at 22:21:45 on November 1, 2012
Posted by Anonymous at 22:21:45 on November 1, 2012
Free for some
What an idiot you are. Don't you understand that by living in the city you create the problems you're complaining about?
Posted by Anonymous at 22:19:00 on November 1, 2012
Posted by Anonymous at 22:19:00 on November 1, 2012
Free for some
Ford it is also your choice to work in a city with all its faults . The rural kiwis pay the same rates of income tax as you. Justifying getting a free internet motorway down your own driveway for free just because you live in a city with a pop of more than 12,000 seems like you are the priviledged to rural NZers. We paid $1000 for our internet connection down our driveway, you wont be. We only ask for what is fair, but will only get fixed wireless with its bandwidth limitations in some areas and stuck with copper every where else.
Posted by Anonymous at 22:07:08 on November 1, 2012
Posted by Anonymous at 22:07:08 on November 1, 2012
Free for some
when rural people have to pay the same for real estate as urban people then we'll talk about paying the same for interne as being 'fair'
as it stands now you might have to cough up 1-2k for broadband but can buy property for hundreds of thousands of dollars less.
you choose to live in the countryside and it comes with plusses and minuses. you get cleaner air, vastly cheaper land, friendlier people etc. urban people get better infrastructure. thatst the trade off. don'tlike it? solution is to move to the city.
Posted by Anonymous at 12:45:59 on November 2, 2012
as it stands now you might have to cough up 1-2k for broadband but can buy property for hundreds of thousands of dollars less.
you choose to live in the countryside and it comes with plusses and minuses. you get cleaner air, vastly cheaper land, friendlier people etc. urban people get better infrastructure. thatst the trade off. don'tlike it? solution is to move to the city.
Posted by Anonymous at 12:45:59 on November 2, 2012
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