“Regional connectivity is critical to our economy and to New Zealand’s future,” Mr Bridges says. “This will provide around 423,000 additional New Zealanders in both rural and urban areas, from Ruatoria to Reefton, with access to world-class broadband.”Īll towns identified in the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the UFB extension will receive access to fibre, plus additional areas that weren’t included in the RFP. “Phase two of the UFB build will see fibre rolled out across all mainland regions, to 151 more towns plus 43 suburban fringe areas around the larger centres which were covered by the first phase of the programme,” Mr Bridges says. The second, $300 million phase of the Government’s UFB programme was launched in Amberley, north Canterbury, this morning.įollowing intensive commercial negotiations, the Amberley event marked the awarding of contracts between Crown Fibre Holdings and four partner companies: Northpower, Ultrafast Fibre, Chorus and Enable. Prime Minister Bill English and Communications Minister Simon Bridges today announced Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) will be extended to more than 151 additional towns, providing up to 85 per cent of New Zealanders with access to fibre by the end of 2024.
