This month, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on Crown Infrastructure Partners as our esteemed member. Their remarkable success with the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) programme stands as a testament to their dedication to advancing digital connectivity across New Zealand. The UFB programme represents a monumental infrastructure initiative, introducing entirely new networks to enhance broadband access and speed. From the bustling streets of Kaitaia to the serene landscapes of Bluff, over 340 towns have been empowered by this nationwide endeavour. As we celebrate Crown Infrastructure Partners’ achievements, we invite you to explore their contributions to shaping a more connected future.
Ultra Fast Broadband Programmes (UFB)
The fibre network built under the Ultra Fast Broadband programmes (UFB) is completely new infrastructure, so work needs to be done on your street and property before you can connect.
Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) is one of the biggest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in New Zealand, and the expansion to over 340 towns is a significant nationwide undertaking, from Kaitaia in the far north, to Bluff in the far south.
The entire UFB programme will be complete by 2022, with many towns starting and completing before that time.
More than 1.19 million businesses, schools, health centres and homes can connect to the UFB network.
Under the UFB programme, we will see smaller New Zealand towns receive world-class connectivity, with up to 1 gigabit broadband speeds, on par with the major cities in New Zealand and ahead of most cities globally.
What have we done so far?
The first stage of the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) programme – UFB1 – was completed a month early and within budget in November 2019. This stage made high quality broadband available to 79 per cent of New Zealanders.
For more information, lease click on this link to see the full press release.
Around 190 new towns will receive access to fibre under the extension to the UFB programme, and the completion of the rollout will also be brought forward by two years, completing the entire network by the end of 2022.
In total, 412 towns and cities and 87 per cent of New Zealanders will have access to fibre-to-the-premises.
This will provide a boost for the regions which will lead to improved health and education outcomes, new and improved business opportunities, and greater connectivity with main centres as well as internationally.
Crown Infrastructure Partners and its deployment partners agreed deployment targets and then partners determined build scheduling. The timing and order of the rollout is based on the availability of contractors, meeting the agreed deployment targets as well as the need to build new network contiguously wherever possible.
