Chorus : Better rural broadband for Northland

The upgraded cabinets are in or near Koutu, Matarau, Oraora and Waimauku, Ruatangata and Matarau, Ruatangata West, Waiotemarama and Waipu.

This latest work means Chorus has now upgraded 144 cabinets in the region since the Rural Broadband Initiative started.

Chorus Executive Nick Woodward says the latest upgrades will no doubt be well received by residents and businesses.

"Slow internet speeds have been a concern for businesses and residents in these areas for a while, so it's pleasing to be able to provide substantially-improved infrastructure.

"There's no question that access to better broadband makes a significant difference to the lives of rural New Zealanders, and this work programme shows how passionate we are about improving rural connectivity."

Before the cabinet upgrades, residents and businesses in these areas could generally only access broadband speeds of between 1 and 5Mbps. However, during peak times, those speeds would likely slow considerably.

Following the upgrade, residents and businesses should now be able to experience speeds of between 10 and 20Mbps, depending on the distance to the broadband cabinet. Residents who live within about 1km of their cabinet should be able to access a VDSL broadband service with speeds in excess of 20 Mbps. This is the fastest service over Chorus' existing copper network.

More importantly, the upgraded cabinet will mean better quality broadband. For example, during peak times when lots of people are using the internet, the broadband speeds will remain consistent.

The work Chorus has completed to date in the region has already resulted in a significant improvement to broadband speeds for those connected to the copper network through the Rural Broadband Initiative.

The average broadband connection speed in Northland has more than doubled, jumping from 4.9Mbps to 10.8Mbps. At the same time, the number of households and businesses connected to the upgraded network has increased from about 5700 to more than 8600.

"More reliable and consistent broadband speeds will provide faster upload speeds for photographs and images, faster download speeds for music and movies, and better, clearer video conversations with friends and family," Mr Woodward says.

"Better broadband also helps rural businesses connect easily to the world and run applications from cloud-based services, reducing IT costs and improving business resilience.

"In practical terms for rural businesses, such as farms, this means better connection to services like livestock improvement records and markets overseas, as well as improving time management through online purchasing. Technology plays a big part in modern farming and now residents in these areas can be part of that."

Mr Woodward says that although the broadband network has been upgraded, residents and businesses also have an important part to play in making the most of the upgraded broadband capability.

"A broadband service is also affected by factors including broadband internet connection plan, modem and computer.

"We also encourage residents and businesses to talk directly with their internet service provider to find out how they can make the most of our upgraded network."

The work in Northland is part of Chorus' involvement in the Government's Rural Broadband Initiative. As part of this work, Chorus is upgrading about 1200 broadband cabinets in rural areas throughout New Zealand.

The estimated cost of Chorus' RBI work is in the range of $280-$295 million, with Chorus contributing 15-20 per cent of the cost.

1. Check your address on our map
2. Contact your broadband provider to upgrade your plan
3. You may need to upgrade your modem

ENDS

For further information:
Nathan Beaumont
Stakeholder Communications Manager
Mobile: 021 243 8412
Email: Nathan.beaumont@chorus.co.nz

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