Ultra-fast broadband: Who gets it in the Bay?

A roll-out of a $75 million ultra fast broadband network will change the face of communications and business operations in the downtown and other commercial parts of Tauranga by the end of the year.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce kicked off the Tauranga project yesterday, saying the roll-out will transform the local economy - ultra fast broadband that connects the internet will bring real gains to schools, business, medical facilities and households.

The project is part of the government's initiative to invest $1.3 billion into delivering some of the fastest broadband in the world to 75 per cent of the population by the end of 2019. Tauranga is the fourth city to get under way, after Whangarei, Hamilton and Wanganui.

Fibre-optic cabling, enabling data to be transmitted at high speeds, is now being laid around the 11th Avenue commercial area and it will spread along the Cameron Rd spine to Greerton Village and down into the central business district.

Cabling will go into Sulphur Point and the Judea industrial area surrounding Birch Ave in December, completing the broadband network for central Tauranga.

The rest of the city, including Mount Maunganui and Papamoa, will be linked up by the end of 2015.

The roll-out, being managed in a joint venture between Crown Fibre Holdings and WEL Networks subsidiary Ultrafast Fibre, will eventually cover a local population of 118,000 including 2500 business premises, more than 530 medical and healthcare clinics and services, and 30 schools.

Mr Joyce said ultra fast broadband provided opportunities for businesses to work in new ways, schools to connect students to resources around the globe, and for specialist medical expertise to be available in more places through technologies such as high-definition video conferencing.

"Fibre will mean that medical professionals will be able to email MRI scans in seconds, rather than relying on a courier, saving precious time, money and ultimately lives," he said.

Andrew Coker, chief executive of economic development agency Priority One, described the start of the roll-out as "fantastic, in terms of business performance, broadband offers immediate access to global information and markets".

"The speed of the transaction (including sending documents) is so important, particularly for export-focussed companies. It's an exciting period for businesses and ultimately households."

The latest broadband is at least 20 times faster. For example, downloading a 130-minute movie on the present broadband connection takes 20 minutes - this will be reduced to under one minute with ultra fast.

Businesses and households will be charged a set wholesale price of $45 a month for the fibre optic connection and on top of that they will be able to choose a range of broadband packages involving the landline, mobile phone and video conferencing.

Residents and businesses will be advised when the new network is available and told to contact a retailer such as Telecom, Vodafone, and TelstraClear to get connected.

Mr Joyce said the fibre-optic network would be open to retailers on equal terms, boosting market competition, and wholesale prices would be as low as half the price of current offerings.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said the council had worked hard to become fibre friendly.

New broadband force

Ultra fast broadband is a technology allowing information to be transmitted at high speeds between the internet or applications on computers and mobile phones.

It allows a greater volume of data to be transmitted because it can handle a greater range of frequencies.

Fibre-optic cable is made up of numerous strands of pure glass - the strands as thin as human hair - that digitally transmit data via light signals.

At home, you will have access to video conferencing, educational and telehealth applications, games downloaded from the internet, and remote working solutions.

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For more information about the roll-out in Tauranga and a larger map, click here