Ultrafast broadband lands for Coasters

WEST Coasters from Fox Glacier to Haast now have access to ultrafast broadband.

It comes as the final leg of a 250km infrastructure project to develop a more resilient telecommunications network on the Coast has been completed.

Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications Dr David Clark said the rollout had been extended through the provincial growth fund to boost rural connectivity.

It would equip rural businesses with the tools to be more innovative and productive to support economic recovery from the Covid19 pandemic, he said.

The West Coast was previously reliant on two fibreoptic cables connecting the region through State Highway 6 and Arthur’s Pass.

That left towns south of Greymouth vulnerable to telecommunications outages during severe weather events.

Dr Clark said the Government was on track to reach its goal of 87% of all New Zealanders having access to ultrafast broadband (UFB) by the end of this year.

Since 2017, the population of West Coasters with access to UFB has increased from 23% to 71%.

Haast, one of the most remote towns on the West Coast, also has a new 4G mobile tower that significantly improves mobile connectivity in the area.

The nearby settlement of Hannah’s Clearing will benefit too, receiving 4G coverage for mobile and broadband services, and a further 4G mobile tower covering the settlements at Neil’s Beach and Jackson Bay will be commissioned later this month.

Minister for Rural Communities Damien O’Connor said it was a huge milestone that would benefit people and businesses, as improved connectivity was a key driver of economic growth.

In February, the Government unveiled a major effort to upgrade capacity on rural broadband networks.

The ongoing work will see existing cell towers upgraded and new towers built in rural areas experiencing poor performance, as well as fibre, additional VDSL coverage and other wireless technology deployed in congested areas.

Chorus general manager of customer and network operations Andrew Carroll said the extended network would provide additional peace of mind during weather events on the West Coast.

It also enables the independent Rural Connectivity Group to build 16 new mobile cell sites with robust fibre backhaul, providing resilience across the West Coast. — RNZ