Signs show Chorus needs to up its game

Something, somewhere had to give. The pending Rugby World Cup spurred a rise in demand for ultrafast broadband (UFB) fibre this year. UFB network operator Chorus said it got about 33,000 orders to connect fibre during July, completing about 26,000. That was well up on the 27,000 orders and 22,000 fibre installations and connections done in June.

The surge was bad timing. It followed a Chorus blacklisting of 22 of its subcontractors in April, then a total 38 by this month, after a Labour Inspectorate and Immigration NZ investigation found 73 of 75 UFB subcontractors systematically exploited workers through underpayment and other abuses of employment laws. This came after successive Governments had twisted Chorus’ arm to maintain free home installations for the public-private UFB, putting the squeeze on every step in the food chain.

In such perfect-storm conditions, it was unlikely every fibre install would go smoothly.

This week Ma¯ ngere man Jon Baulcomb complained after a UFB install team put tubing through a room in his house. This followed an Auckland couple seeking compensation from Chorus after their fence was ruined by a contractor during an error-ridden fibre installation.

Chorus told the Herald it had a special team designated to repair fibre installations that weren’t up to scratch. Surely, that’s putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Chorus should ensure its subcontractors are fully trained, and working towards key performance indicators, met first time without intervention from a duct-tape flying squad.

Chorus has notably sharpened its act since mid-decade, when demand for UFB hit a tipping point, with wait times often stretching for weeks rather than days, and reports of shoddy installs were rife.

There’s still scope for the company to lift its game more as the UFB rollout completes. The first phase of the rollout, which will put 75 per cent of the population within reach of ultrafast broadband, is due to finish at the end of this year but the expanded “UFB2”, which broadens the coverage area to 85 per cent, will run through to the end of 2022.

And only about half of people with UFB fibre running past their kerb have had it connected to their home.

Chorus’ new chief executive, J.B. Rousselot, arrives from Australia’s disjointed National Broadband Network to take over on November 20. Clearly, he has something pressing on his to-do list.