UFB now with 5% added fibre…

The National party has today announced that the UFB program will be extended to cover 80% of NZ towns using additional funds from the ‘Future Investment Fund’ 

The process has yet to be defined but promises to bring UFB to more towns:

“Te Puke, Motueka, Morrinsville, Kerikeri, Huntly, Thames, Matamata, Ōtaki, Kawerau, Waitara, Kaitaia, Dannevirke, Alexandra, Stratford, Whitianga, Cromwell, Taumarunui, Picton, Foxton, Kaikohe, Marton, Te Kuiti, Katikati, Temuka, Waihi, Waipukurau, Warkworth, Carterton, Dargaville, Opotiki, Snells Beach, Te Aroha, Wairoa, Paeroa and Westport.”

TUANZ welcomes this extension of the UFB to more of NZ’s heartland, the UFB will deliver world beating internet access to New Zealand homes and businesses.

Today’s announcement is welcome because it continues to reduce the copper gap, that is the people who get left out of the UFB, its not a big issue now but it will be an ever widening gap as more people sign up for the UFB and enjoy speeds of 100mb/s or greater.

The process still needs fleshing out with detail but it will hopefully learn the lessons from the original UFB tender process.

The focus must now move to products, services, applications and uptake.