It's all go with the Ultrafast Broadband Network (UFB Network) in New Zealand. Since Christmas 2015 there has been a record upsurge in demand for Ultrafast broadband (UFB Network NZ) connections which means more work for Chorus and other technicians and a shortage of experienced technicians to do all the work... so what does this mean for you the New Zealand consumer?
Well, putting it bluntly you need to be sure you compare internet providers NZ and make sure that get the best broadband plan in NZ becuase it is going to be getting slower to switch so make sure that you compare broadband providers in NZ before you make a change...
Speaking at the start of February 2016 after the release of a report on the status of the industry from the Telecommunications Forum. The Chorus chief executive Mark Ratcliffe said that both January 2016 and February 2016 had seen a record number of new fibre broadband NZ connections and his company, which is responsible for the vast majority of the Ultra Fast Broadband network rollout (UFB) across New Zealand, has had to boost its technician capacity by 30 per cent in the past four months as more people are comparing broadband plans to make sure that they get the best fibre broadband deals in NZ.
The government contracted four companies to meet their objective of rolling out the Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB network) network to 80 per cent of NZ by 2022. In the first month of 2016, Chorus received more than 13,000 new fibre connection orders in January, the highest yet in any one month, and it's currently completing an average 400 new connections a day...which at that run rate means almost 150,000 NZ consumers will try and find the best broadband plans in NZ in 2016.
With all that in mind it is no surprise that Chorus chief executive Mark Ratcliffe said "We need, collectively, twice as many technicians that we have working by the middle of the year, it's that kind of magnitude" - here at Broadband Compare we are over the moon that that many kiwis are looking to take advantage of the awesome ultra fast fibre network and compare the best broadband packages in New Zealand!
Down in Christchurch the fibre company in charge of the ultra fast broadband fibre network rollout there is called Enable and they are reporting a similar upsurge in demand with connections doubling in the past three months - which is incredible growth. The Enable chief executive Steve Fuller said its projections had been for the demand to peak in 2018/19 but "we're now hitting that peak three years early" - isn't that amazing! Kiwis are on the hunt for the best broadband plans because they are also taking to online video streaming and music streaming services that benefit from the quicker speeds that ultrafast fibre broadband inn NZ can offer.
The Spark chief executive Simon Moutter said that fibre broadband was an "easy sell" but there needs to be a greater understanding with consumers on the process of getting connected. More education for consumers on what will happen at their home with fibre installations need to happen so that when they have finished comparing broadband plans in NZ they know the timeline for getting connected as fibre broadband becomes more mainstream.
Chorus has now said that they have taken a number of steps to improve that experience as the demand for fibre increases and Vodafone New Zealand chief executive Russell Stanners said consumers need to change what they have as expectations for fibre broadband connecting. There are currently unrealistic expectations around how quick the fibre broadband connection will be made, when they wouldn't expect other work around the home such as a bathroom renovation to be done "the day they think of it"... so like we said at the start of this article, if you are looking at a broadband providers comparison in NZ then make sure you make an informed decision on who is the best broadband provider.
If you are looking to join the ultrafast fibre revolution then we recommend MyRepublic - they are specifically a fibre broadband provider and you can check if your home has fibre broadband availability on their NZ fibre broadband checker which you can find here - NZ Fibre Broadband Checker
100Mbps
Sign up for the Orcon Fibre plan through Broadband Compare and get $22 monthly discount for 12 months! Bundle your broadband and power and get 10% bundle discount on both services. Get $5/mth off for
Terms and Conditions apply
12 months
