The Internet is becoming a more and more pervasive part of our lives. New Zealanders are using the Internet to access more information in new forms, to communicate more and in new ways, to collaborate without regard to location, to buy and sell goods and services, to run their businesses, and to teach their children.
These requirements have outstripped legacy technologies which are struggling to keep pace. New Zealand's ability to access the Internet for these many and increasing demands depends on investment in new technologies. For this reason, the Government decided to support investment to improve Internet access speeds in New Zealand, through the Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative.
Crown Fibre Holdings Limited (CFH) has been established to manage the Government's $1.5 billion investment in Ultra-Fast Broadband infrastructure. The Government's objective is to accelerate the roll-out of Ultra-Fast Broadband to 75 percent of New Zealanders over ten years, concentrating in the first six years on priority broadband users such as businesses, schools and health services, plus green field developments and certain tranches of residential areas (the UFB Objective). The Government's objective will be supported by investment in partnership with the private sector, and be directed to open-access infrastructure.
CFH is working closely with organisations such as the Telecommunications Carriers' Forum (TCF) and the Internet Service Providers Association of New Zealand (ISPANZ) to design and agree Ultra-Fast Broadband standards, products and services which will be attractive in the New Zealand market.
What is Ultra-Fast Broadband?
Ultra Fast Broadband is generally defined as services which deliver much faster speeds, in excess of 25 Mbps. For the purposes of the New Zealand Government's Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative, having access to Ultra-Fast Broadband is taken to mean the availability of broadband services at a minimum speed of 100 Mbps Downstream (from the Internet to the user) and a minimum of 50 Mbps Upstream (from user to the Internet).
Uptake of faster broadband speeds has been increasing rapidly worldwide in recent years in response to the growing popularity of the Internet as a tool of communication, collaboration and commerce
How is it being used?
In addition to benefiting business and residential customers, Ultra-Fast Broadband has positive benefits for a number of key sectors in New Zealand including health, education and local government.
View case studies
Find out more
For more information about the Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative visit the Crown Fibre Holdings website.
This material has been provided courtesy of Crown Fibre Holdings.