High-speed internet bypasses small towns | Stuff.co.nz

Foxton and Shannon are likely to miss out on the $1.5 billion ultrafast broadband rollout, with a date for the arrival of high-speed internet in the towns unknown.

Chorus said this week that parts of Levin and Paraparaumu would be included in its UFB rollout plan, starting next July.

Shannon and Foxton did not feature in the eight-year plan, but are likely to be picked up later in other broadband schemes that the Government is funding.

Foxton Community Board chairman Neville Gimblett said the delay for Foxton and Shannon was disappointing, but not unexpected.

"I guess as a small town you get used to being put down the list a bit."

The owner of a pharmacy in Foxton, Mr Gimblett said the arrival of high-speed internet would be good for businesses, when it eventually came. "I would like to see it as soon as possible, as would the whole country."

Chorus won the contract to install fibre to make ultrafast broadband available to more than 830,000 urban premises, including schools and homes, throughout New Zealand by the end of 2019.

The Government is developing a plan to bring ultrafast broadband to areas not included in either the rural or urban schemes. It is understood Shannon and Foxton are in that category, which also includes the Rangitikei town of Marton.

Chorus communications manager Robin Kelly said the rollout was a "massive undertaking", with Chorus building a network path to every home and business in the region included in the contract.

"We've got work that will see us up to the middle of 2014, and we'll begin the process of working on the next stage of the plan."

Mr Kelly confirmed that Otaki was also not part of the area for UFB set by the Government. "Otaki is not included in the UFB programme of work.

"We've won the contract for a defined area . . . so at the moment, as it stands, the UFB programme doesn't include Otaki."

Ultrafast broadband will transmit data along fibre about 50 times the speed of current broadband.

Kapiti and Horowhenua lines company Electra lost out in its bid to install fibre in the districts. A map of where the fibre will be installed can be found at chorus.co.nz.

Additional reporting Mathew Grocott

- ? Fairfax NZ News

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Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7774406/High-speed-internet-bypasses-small-towns

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