Mayors Back Unison as Hawkes Bays Fibre Company

 Hastings and Napier Mayors are backing electricity lines company Unison Networks as Hawke’s Bay’s local fibre company.

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule and Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott said as the community-owned lines network, Unison’s decision to enter the telecommunications market is a significant development in providing broadband for the region.

A joint council submission on the Government’s policy for stimulating investment in broadband throughout the country had identified Unison as a “natural participant” and it is great that Unison has picked up the cause for the region, they said.

Unison announced its intention to enter the telecommunications market last week with a rollout of broadband across the region. The move will eventually see the company providing high speed broadband services to businesses and the wider community.

Under the proposed Government policy, the Hastings-Napier area will be eligible to attract Government funding for the roll out of fibre-optic infrastructure for ultra-fast broadband.

Mayor Yule said Unison’s announcement confirms the region has a willing and able locally-owned fibre company to deliver ultra fast broadband.

The Mayors said supporting work had already started through a working group representing business, education, heath and local government across the region.

A function of this group is to proactively aggregate user demand, and assist in facilitating implementation of improved broadband delivery.

Unison will provide an open access platform, enabling retail competition for voice, broadband and other telecommunication services.

The Mayors said Unison had the network infrastructure, the technology capabilities and financial capacity to undertake and deliver a regional roll out of broadband.

“We need to grab the opportunity and support Unison as Hawke’s Bay’s local fibre network company”.

The region now eagerly awaited policy announcements on rural broadband; given the importance this sector represents to Hawke’s Bay’s economy.

An announcement from the Government on both urban and rural broadband is expected early next week.