Progress on ultra-fast broadband initiative

The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Steven Joyce, has welcomed an announcement this morning from Crown Fibre Holdings that it has received refined proposals from those seeking to participate in the government's roll-out of ultra-fast broadband.


Crown Fibre Holdings is the company established to manage the Crown's $1.5 billion investment in ultra-fast broadband infrastructure over the next ten years.


Mr Joyce says delivering ultra-fast broadband to 75 percent of New Zealanders where they live, work and study within the next ten years is a key priority for the Government.

"Access to ultra-fast broadband is part of the essential infrastructure of a productive and growing economy and will be crucial to New Zealand improving its competitive advantage in the global market.

"The future of broadband is in fibre, and taking it right in to the home will bring significant gains for productivity, innovation and global reach. We are one step closer to realising those benefits today.

"By October of this year I'm expecting to see Crown Fibre Holdings' recommendations on preferred investment partners. This should enable new fibre to start going into the ground around the end of the year," says Mr Joyce.