Chorus : Update | Vodafone, Spark and Chorus working together to restore services to Kaikoura

Published 16/11/2016

Telecommunications infrastructure providers, Vodafone, Spark and Chorus, continue to work closely in exploring a range of options to re-establish and provide long-term, resilient telecommunications infrastructure to Kaikoura.

Since our last update, a large number of technicians have been working around the clock in multiple locations on the North and South Islands to restore phone and broadband services to Kaikoura and the surrounding areas. In many cases they are relying on helicopters to get access to remote or inaccessible locations.

Restoring phone and broadband services to Kaikoura

Yesterday, technicians worked to configure equipment in Wellington and Christchurch to free up extra capacity on Vodafone's Aqualink cable to provide access to Chorus and Spark. This work was successful.

Teams are now configuring equipment to enable connection to the undersea cable that comes ashore just outside of Kaikoura. This will enable Spark and Chorus to connect their local networks to the Aqualink cable and establish links to both Wellington and Christchurch.
Technical teams will then test the connection to ensure the cable is operating as expected.
Once testing is complete, broadband, landline and corporate data services will be restored for most customers of all providers within the township and there will be improved capacity for mobile services.

If no problems are encountered, it is expected that services may be restored later today or early tomorrow.

Improving resilience in South Island

Yesterday, technicians worked to configure equipment in Wellington and Christchurch to free up extra capacity on Vodafone's Aqualink cable to provide access to Chorus and Spark. This work was successful.

Teams are now configuring equipment to enable connection to the undersea cable that comes ashore just outside of Kaikoura. This will enable Spark and Chorus to connect their local networks to the Aqualink cable and establish links to both Wellington and Christchurch.
Technical teams will then test the connection to ensure the cable is operating as expected.
Once testing is complete, broadband, landline and corporate data services will be restored for most customers of all providers within the township and there will be improved capacity for mobile services.

If no problems are encountered, it is expected that services may be restored later today or early tomorrow.

Improving resilience in South Island
Work continues in parallel to improve the telecommunications network resiliency in the South Island.

Spark and Vodafone are working to share capacity on their respective cables running down the east and west sides of the South Island. Spark's core fibre runs down the west side of the South Island, from Levin to Christchurch, while Vodafone's Aqualink cable runs down the east side of the South Island from Lyall Bay to Christchurch.

Once complete, both Spark and Vodafone will have improved resiliency in the South Island. However, the solution will take some time, as it requires patching connections between the providers' respective sites in Wellington, Christchurch and Kaikoura.
Protecting the integrity of both the eastern and western cables remains of paramount importance. Vodafone is working with the Government to protect the eastern undersea cable from the risk of damage from incoming vessels. On the western cable, no earth works or maintenance will be permitted along the length of the cable.

We continue to ask for the assistance of New Zealanders who live or work along the length of the western cable to ensure they protect the cable against any risk of damage.

For more information, contact:

Vodafone:

Andrea Brady
Head of External Communications
andrea.brady@vodafone.co.nz
021 977 688

Spark:

Ellie Cross
Communications Partner
022 630 0665
ellie.cross@spark.co.nz

Chorus:

Steve Pettigrew
Stakeholder Communications Manager
027 258 6257
steve.pettigrew@chorus.co.nz