Unison bids to deliver widespread ultra fast broadband

Date: 8 March 2010

Unison Networks is tendering to be the Local Fibre Company for Hawkes Bay, Rotorua and Taupo, and entering new territory with a proposal to roll out fibre for Palmerston North and Feilding.

A member of the NZ Regional Fibre Group (NZRFG), Unison’s bid under the Government’s $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband initiative, and has received strong and unanimous support from the local community and business leaders.

The multi-city roll out would deliver ultra-fast broadband to over 100,000 homes and businesses, and with Government funding this process would be fast tracked.

We see rolling out fibre for Palmerston North and Feilding as a logical progression from our activities in the other regions, with the city being a large commercial hub within a densely populated area.

The fibre would run alongside the electricity network, and would be undertaken with co-operation and support from PowerCo as well as the Palmerston North City Council.

The NZRFG is made up of 19 regionally based electricity lines and fibre companies who support the Government’s vision of introducing ultra-fast fibre broadband to 75% of all New Zealanders.

The group is designed to provide a structure for regionally owned and managed network companies to deliver national wholesale, fibre-based access services to retailers and service providers on a flexible, neutral, and equivalent basis.