Ultra-fast broadband comes to New Plymouth

The Government’s ultra-fast broadband (UFB) initiative is now underway in New Plymouth, bringing real gains to schools, medical facilities, businesses and residents.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Amy Adams this morning joined with Ultrafast Fibre Ltd to deploy the first UFB network in the New Plymouth CBD.

Under the UFB initiative Ultrafast Fibre is contracted to roll out fibre-optic cable to about 163,000 premises in Hamilton, Tauranga, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Hawera and Tokoroa.

Ms Adams says UFB will provide a real opportunity to boost economic growth and increase productivity in New Plymouth.

“Fibre with ultra-fast capability will mean business people, innovators and entrepreneurs in New Plymouth can compete with anyone anywhere in the world. The barriers of distance and time will be almost completely removed by UFB,” she says.

“It will revolutionise the way our firms do business, transform the way our GPs and hospitals deliver care and treatment to patients, connect our exporters with their markets, encourage greater innovation, and create more jobs with higher incomes.”

Businesses, schools and medical premises will receive priority in the New Plymouth rollout.

About 3500 premises will be deployed in the first year, with work due to be completed by 2016.