Broadband blitz near

Northpower is rolling out its ultra-fast 100 megabits per second fibre network to residential customers in Whangarei.

The company is installing overhead fibre optic cable using the same model submitted in its bid to partner with the government under the $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband initiative.

The $500,000 expansion will enable about 850 homes in the Kensington and Regent suburbs of Whangarei to receive fibre to the door during the next four months.

Northpower fibre manager Darren Mason says the continued growth of Northpower's fibre network is a reflection of activity among the broader New Zealand Regional Fibre Group membership, which he says has long touted fibre to the door as the broadband solution for New Zealand.

"A lot of the NZRFG members are pushing on with their fibre builds," Mr Mason says.

"Naturally we are hoping to be successful with our bids to the government but this isn't stopping us progressing networks in our regions, simply because fibre-based broadband is the way of the future and in some ways we are playing catch-up with the rest of the world."

Once the fibre is rolled out to the more than 20 streets in the Kensington and Regent area it will be up to one of Northpower's providers – XFNet, TelstraClear, Uber Group, World Exchange and others who are signing on to be providers on the Northpower Network – to deliver the services people want, from telephone, internet, TV channels to video on demand and more.

Mr Mason says the advantage of having fibre to the door is fast, reliable and consistent broadband speeds as opposed to fibre going only to a cabinet and then having to rely on copper to carry the signal the rest of the way.

Many of Northpower's Whangarei CBD business customers have already had a taste of fibre connections and Mr Mason believes the trend will catch on this year with far greater uptake. Fibre to the door is the way of the world and once people experience fibre they do not go back (to copper broadband).

- © Fairfax NZ News