Growth strong for Now after some frustration with connections

Now CEO Hamish White with residential customers and monthly winners Audrey and Douglas Davis as the company celebrates five years as Now. Photo/Warren Buckland

Wellington is still driving growth for telecommunications company Now but high-density living has threatened its ability to live up to its name when retailing fibre connections, says chief executive Hamish White.

Two years ago the Hawke's Bay company opened a Wellington office in Lower Hutt but it was often "a pretty frustrating process" with people often waiting three or four months for a connection.

"Residential hasn't been unsuccessful, and while we don't have any issues selling fibre in Wellington, getting connected with consents is just too hard for many people," he said.

"It is not as straightforward as provincial New Zealand in Wellington - it is probably one of the hardest areas to navigate.

"To be honest we haven't put the firepower into the residential market but we are targeting the provincial parts - like Kapiti Coast where the ease of doing business is similar to Hawke's Bay."

The company hadn't given up "but from our perspective it is just about low hanging fruit".

In comparison the business market was very successful, with the main marketing tool "shoe leather" but word-of-mouth was giving them clusters of businesses, mainly professional services.

"We get a couple of accountants and all of a sudden the rest of the practices start moving across. Is the same with medical centres and the law.

Since re-branding from Airnet to Now five years ago the company has grown from 1000 customers to 12,000 and 10 staff to 70.

Residential demand for fibre had "finally fired" for residential thanks to online cloud services.

"I don't think we ever imagined how critical an internet connection was going to be five years ago for a typical house."

To celebrate its five years Now is putting residential customers into a monthly draw for five years free phone and broadband.

"We are involving a lot of our business customers in the celebration as well, going out there and passing on the goodwill. It is about enriching their relationships with their customers.

"It might be as simple as turning up at a hair salon and pay for one of their clients' haircuts.

"It is about spreading the goodwill and saying thanks for five years. It's been great."