Rotorua benefits from internet fibre rollout
The Rotorua expansion was expected to add $18m of economic benefit over the next decade, according to Chorus.
The Hamurana build area was the nation's largest by size, and will reach 529 homes.
Some lakeside communities at Rotoiti can now access better internet connectivity. Photo / Raimona Inia
The milestone was celebrated at an event in Rotoiti on Friday.
'It's really positive to see investment like this going into rural Rotorua and the wider region,' said Tapsell.
'Today digital connectivity is almost essential so it's great to see some of our rural communities now having greater options available to them.
'Increased connectivity improves opportunities for growth and development for both individual households, as well as our community as a whole.'
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Felix Desmarais
Chorus first brought ultra-fast broadband to 26,000 households, businesses, schools and health facilities in Rotorua city in 2016.
At the same time, three new towers improved cellphone connectivity for more rural areas as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative by Vodafone, Chorus and central government.
This was when the wheels started turning for the latest rollout.
With the natural landscape allowing only patchy coverage and unreliable broadband access, the issue came to a head during the pandemic when children and workers were asked to stay home, according to Rotorua Lakes Community Board chairman Phill Thomass.
'They had no reception and therefore a generation missed out on education,' said Thomass, who said the latest implementation was a 'game-changer' for lakeside communities.
Rotorua Lakes Community Board chairman Phill Thomass with Chorus general manager of frontier Anna Mitchell and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell at Friday's event. Photo / Supplied
'Along with sewage reticulation, it means people can live here permanently, work from home, and kids can access quality internet. It also allows iwi to return to their land. Together, these services make it much more viable to live out here and will revitalise our communities.
'These lakeside areas used to be dominated by holiday homes. In the last five or six years, house prices in Rotorua have risen, and more people have started moving out here. This rollout is another tool to support that growth and connection.'
Last month the Infrastructure Commission endorsed Chorus' plan to further extend fibre broadband from 87% to 95% of New Zealand.
Thomass hoped to work alongside the company to prepare proposals for other communities.
He said this was of extra significance for areas that will be impacted by the proposed copper network retirement, which Chorus aimed to conclude by 2030.
'We're proud we were part of starting this national rollout,' said Thomass. 'It's a major benefit for us, but also for all of provincial New Zealand.'
The scheme aims to be fully operational by the end of August.
Chorus chief executive Mark Aue said he believed there was strong demand for rural communities to increase their fibre capabilities.
'We're incredibly proud to have delivered fibre to these communities, many of which have waited a long time for access to fast, reliable broadband.
'Rural New Zealanders want and deserve the high-quality, dependable connectivity that fibre offers.'
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
Rotorua benefits from internet fibre rollout
It will provide fibre to 59 communities nationwide, including more than 1800 Rotorua households across Awahou, Gloucester Rd in Lynmore, Hamurana, Mourea, Otaramarae, Pongakawa Valley Rd, Rotoiti, Rotoma, Te Ngae and Unsworth Rd. The Rotorua expansion was expected to add $18m of economic benefit over the next decade, according to Chorus. The Hamurana build area was the nation's largest by size, and will reach 529 homes. Some lakeside communities at Rotoiti can now access better internet connectivity. Photo / Raimona Inia The milestone was celebrated at an event in Rotoiti on Friday. 'It's really positive to see investment like this going into rural Rotorua and the wider region,' said Tapsell. 'Today digital connectivity is almost essential so it's great to see some of our rural communities now having greater options available to them. 'Increased connectivity improves opportunities for growth and development for both individual households, as well as our community as a whole.' Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Felix Desmarais Chorus first brought ultra-fast broadband to 26,000 households, businesses, schools and health facilities in Rotorua city in 2016. At the same time, three new towers improved cellphone connectivity for more rural areas as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative by Vodafone, Chorus and central government. This was when the wheels started turning for the latest rollout. With the natural landscape allowing only patchy coverage and unreliable broadband access, the issue came to a head during the pandemic when children and workers were asked to stay home, according to Rotorua Lakes Community Board chairman Phill Thomass. 'They had no reception and therefore a generation missed out on education,' said Thomass, who said the latest implementation was a 'game-changer' for lakeside communities. Rotorua Lakes Community Board chairman Phill Thomass with Chorus general manager of frontier Anna Mitchell and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell at Friday's event. Photo / Supplied 'Along with sewage reticulation, it means people can live here permanently, work from home, and kids can access quality internet. It also allows iwi to return to their land. Together, these services make it much more viable to live out here and will revitalise our communities. 'These lakeside areas used to be dominated by holiday homes. In the last five or six years, house prices in Rotorua have risen, and more people have started moving out here. This rollout is another tool to support that growth and connection.' Last month the Infrastructure Commission endorsed Chorus' plan to further extend fibre broadband from 87% to 95% of New Zealand. Thomass hoped to work alongside the company to prepare proposals for other communities. He said this was of extra significance for areas that will be impacted by the proposed copper network retirement, which Chorus aimed to conclude by 2030. 'We're proud we were part of starting this national rollout,' said Thomass. 'It's a major benefit for us, but also for all of provincial New Zealand.' The scheme aims to be fully operational by the end of August. Chorus chief executive Mark Aue said he believed there was strong demand for rural communities to increase their fibre capabilities. 'We're incredibly proud to have delivered fibre to these communities, many of which have waited a long time for access to fast, reliable broadband. 'Rural New Zealanders want and deserve the high-quality, dependable connectivity that fibre offers.' Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
18-07-2025
- Scoop
Download Weekly—Winter, game updates see UFB traffic surge
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There's a sense that, if or when. the US stops its on-again, off-again tariff talk, the market is poised for take-off, but don't expect that to happen this year. Sign up for Bill Bennett telecommunications + technology from a New Zealand perspective Subscribe No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Tuanz releases Connecting Aotearoa report Tuanz — Connecting Aotearoa Chorus has released a report based on the Connecting Aotearoa summit in Hamilton. (Download Weekly reported on the summit in May.) Like the conference, the report aims to answer the question: Why can't 100 percent of New Zealanders be connected? With one in five households still not connected, there's a pressing need to bring everyone who wants to be online into the fold. While there are issues with rural connectivity and digital skills, the cost of connecting remains the most intractable issue. In other news... 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It sounded plausible. Spark owned Lightbox, a streaming TV business. There was Spark Sport and Morepork, the home security business, Qrious, a data analytics division and Mattr, focused on identify and verification software. All could be viewed through a software and digital services lens. Since then, Lightbox, Spark Sport and Morepork have left the building. To the outside world today's Spark looks less like a software company. Yet the commitment to Agile remains. Like others, Bradfield raises the prospect of a private equity buy out. It's possible. If that happens, how long do you give Agile? Download Weekly five years ago Spark plans to retire PSTN in Devonport and Miramar by Christmas. The move will affect around 1000 customers. Enjoy Download Weekly? Feel free to pass this email on to your colleagues. Have your say. Subscribers are able to comment on any newsletter or story on the website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. Reader emails are also welcome. The Download Weekly is supported by Chorus New Zealand. Winter, game updates see UFB traffic surge was first posted at Bill Bennett Freelance journalist. Auckland-based Bill Bennett writes technology and business stories that are directly relevant to New Zealand readers. His emphasis is on telecommunications, but he also covers other aspects of technology and business. You can find his features in the New Zealand Herald and hear him regularly on RNZ Nine to Noon and the NZ Tech Podcast. Bennett's The Download Weekly here. If you want to support his work, you can make a donation to his PressPatron account.
Scoop
11-07-2025
- Scoop
Download Weekly: Chorus makes copper deregulation case
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Chorus points out it doesn't make sense to use legislation to adapt the Copper Withdrawal Code for non-fibre areas as there are now numerous alternatives available for users. At the same time Chorus says that given the rapid decline in copper user numbers and the speed of the legislative process, any law changes would be redundant by the time they are passed. Chorus is anything but a lonely voice on this topic. There is strong and widespread support for deregulating a range of copper services. Among those agreeing with Chorus are Rural Women New Zealand, One NZ, Tuatahi First Fibre and Spark. The NZ Telecommunications Forum, which represents almost the entire remainder of the industry, is also in favour. Reannz completes New Zealand eScience Infrastructure takeover New Zealand eScience Infrastructure is now part of Reannz. The crown-owned business running the government-funded broadband network used by scientists and researchers, has absorbed an organisation that builds high-performance computing systems for research projects. Reannz chief executive Amber McEwen says: 'Creating centralised eResearch infrastructure will decrease fragmentation and enable more equitable access to infrastructure and key specialist capabilities. Over time, it will create critical mass and enable us to offer a broader range of services.' Billing remains sore point with consumers This year's annual report from Utilities Disputes Tautohetohe Whaipainga notes there has been a 36 percent increase in complaints and queries across energy, water and telecommunications. The service handled 8356 complaints compared with 6997 in the previous year. Billing remains the most common complaint to reach the service and at 48 percent, accounts for almost half the total. 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According to Statista, they accounted for just 0.5 percent of the total mobile phone market in 2021. They still represent less than two percent of the market. This lack of consumer interest is easier to understand when you look at the price of these phones. Prices for Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold7 start at $3250 for a phone with 256GB of storage. A model with a terabyte of storage costs a nose-bleed $4100. Even the FlipFE, which Samsung describes as 'more affordable' costs $1700 for a version with 128GB of storage and $1820 for a model with 256GB. ITU reports New Zealand telecommunications investment The International Telecommunication Union has released worldwide industry investment figures for 2022. New Zealand is a relatively small player with an investment of US$991 million. Download Weekly five years ago Vodafone, 2degrees offer mobile experience polish: A report from Tutela gave plaudits to Vodafone and 2degrees. Enjoy the Download Weekly? Feel free to pass this email on to your colleagues. Have your say subscribers are able to comment on any newsletter or story on the website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. Reader emails are also welcome. The Download Weekly is supported by Chorus New Zealand. Chorus makes copper deregulation case was first posted at
