The rollout of ultra-fast broadband in Whangarei is ahead of schedule and users are predicting it will transform the city's future.
Whangarei internet users have been anticipating the rollout since December last year when local lines company Northpower secured the first Government contract to install fibre optic cabling.
Northpower had already installed fibre-optic cables in parts of Kensington and downtown Whangarei but the contract with Crown Fibre Holdings, thought to be worth $50 million, brought a new turn of speed to the project.
The full scale network build began in April this year and by last week was ahead of schedule, with fibre passing more than 3700 Whangarei premises.
Fibre installation is expected to be completed in Morningside and the Whangarei Port area by the end of the year, while work in Tikipunga is expected to be completed by March next year and Otangarei by August. By June next year the number of premises that will have fibre running past the gate is expected to have doubled, Northpower Fibre chairperson Jo Brosnahan said.
"Fibre will be truly transformational for Whangarei," she said.
"It will put people in contact with the rest of the world by providing an instant and reliable communications platform. That will provide immense opportunities for our community."
Mrs Brosnahan said ultra-fast broadband (UFB) will allow Northland children to access all the educational opportunities the internet provides.
"One has only to visit Manaia View School to see what those opportunities can do for our children. This will be one of the first New Zealand communities to fully benefit from a fibre network."
Manaia View School was the first school in New Zealand to be connected to UFB in late 2010. Principal Leanne Otene said the new internet connection has already enhanced the quality of education delivered.
"Many say that it is about speed but for us it is about connectivity," she said. "Whole classes can be connected to the internet, with each student working at their level and with their choice of device. ICT is not a separate subject in schools anymore."
The school produces a weekly TV show and the speedy internet connection has allowed students to handle large video files quickly and simply, Ms Otene said.
"Ultra-fast broadband has provided us with new horizons and it is exciting for those who embrace it, opening doors to another world or should I say a new world."
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tony Collins said Whangarei was ahead of the rest of New Zealand in rolling out the UFB infrastructure, a direct advantage in attracting investment from outside the district.
The technology will help small businesses overcome their comparative lack of scale and increase their market share, he said.
"Importantly, all businesses should look at this as an opportunity to look at new ways of doing things within their business. It will not be just a case of doing what they already do faster but looking at how this technology can improve existing products and services and grow their markets."
The suburbs of Maunu, Raumanga, and Kamo will have to wait till 2013 to get UFB while Riverside and Onerahi won't get connected until 2014.