Ultra fastbroadband switched on
Chorus finished installation of Taupo’s 78-kilometre ultra fast broadband network on Thursday – the first North Island town it has completed.
The construction began in November 2011, and while many premises will have had access to ultra fast broadband (UFB) for several years, the finished network would now provide 13,000 schools, homes and business with download speeds of up to 10 megabytes per second.
Chorus executives joined mayor David Trewavas and MP Louise Upston at Base backpackers on Friday morning to celebrate the project completion.
Base Backpackers Taupo was the first Taupo business to receive UFB in late November 2012.
General manager Laura Crowther said Base customers loved having super fast internet access.
‘‘ Many of them have an insatiable thirst for data.
‘‘They do skydiving and bungy jumping, then the first thing they want to do is upload their photos and video to Facebook and Instagram.’’
‘‘ It has helped showcase Taupo to the world,’’ she said.
Taupo MP Louise Upston said she had heard great stories from other parts of the Taupo electorate about how UFB has allowed businesses to grow.
‘‘In a back street in Tokoroa, in a very unassuming building, I had a chat a few weeks ago with the owners of a printing com- pany about how business was going.
‘‘ They said they are now exporting some of their products [personalised calendars] across the world because of fibre,’’ she said.
Chorus
chief
technology officer Ewen Powell said heavy users like school and health providers could now easily send large computer files like X-rays.
He said although Taupo has had a relatively low uptake of the UFB – 550 premises, or 4 per cent of those with access, had signed up for USB, compared with 13 per cent nationwide – he said demand would grow.
‘‘We’ve seen a 30 to 40 per cent growth in our traffic in the last three months, largely because of internet TV and webstreaming services.’’
The biggest benefit will be for businesses and staff being able to work remotely, he said.
‘‘ You get to live somewhere because it’s a fantastic spot, rather than because that’s where the head office is. It’s about removing distance,’’ he said.