Why is there a need for an ultra-fast fibre broadband network?
The National Government has committed $1.5 billion to assist in the construction of fibre networks around New Zealand over the next 10 years.
That is because ultra-fast fibre broadband will provide the biggest boost to New Zealand’s economic development this century – just like electricity did last century.
It will make business activities more efficient, boost productivity, make communication dramatically faster and ensure New Zealand is truly competitive in the global business market thanks to equally fast upload and download speeds. We will be able to connect back to the rest of the world instantaneously.
The ongoing development of applications which require increasingly larger bandwidth means that a high-speed fibre connection will be the only way to ensure these user needs can be met. Current high speed communication technologies simply can’t meet these bandwidth requirements.
But what will fibre mean for me?
Fibre will give an affordable way to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
It will provide more jobs and freedom of choice to work from wherever you like. For example, you will be able to video conference from your home or bach directly with your workplace and the quality of sound and picture will be so high that it seems as if you are in the same room.
It will also give New Zealanders better access health and education services delivered directly to your home – via your TV. That is great news for people who live long distances from their nearest town or city who are in need of health advice or want to take part in remote learning for school or university.
Ultimately, it will help break down social disparities and build a stronger community today and for decades to come
Just what is fibre?
Well just like the introduction of electricity to our society early last century, no one could have predicted what uses would evolve from it.
Fibre is the same because many of the applications that will be developed to take advantage of ultra-fast fibre networks are yet to be created.
Fibre is comprised of super-fine glass strands, instead of the copper wire traditionally used for telephone systems. Fibre enables you to communicate close to the speed of light via internet, phone, email, live video and more.
Fibre gives us a highly affordable and efficient way to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime. It will assist with energy management, bring potentially innovative new health and education services direct your home via your TV, and, enhance business efficiencies and profits.
It will help strengthen our community.
What is wrong with what we already have?
Copper is at the end of its useful life in terms of its ability to cope with the communication demands of today’s society. When you compare it to a car engine it is running at maximum speed and has now more power to give.
Fibre is the turbo boost we need.
Fibre and copper networks are fundamentally different, technically and hence commercially …… so it is a mistake to apply copper thinking to a fibre world.
Optical fibre is unique, in that it can carry a high-bandwidth signal enormous distances. Copper can support high bandwidth but only for a few hundred metres. The more customers that use copper at one time, the slower the speed of information transfer.
Fibre uses laser light to carry the signal. Under most circumstances, the signal can travel more than 25km without degrading enough to keep it from being received.
What’s more, the equipment necessary to send the light signals keeps getting better. So equipping our fibre network with newer electronics and with lasers that pulse light faster, or lasers using different wavelengths of light, we can vastly increase the available bandwidth without changing the fibre itself.
That’s why fibre networks are said to be “future proof”.
So what does ‘ultra-fast’ actually mean then?
The easiest way to explain it is comparing to fibre to the broadband we currently have in New Zealand.
Fibre makes copper broadband look like dial-up because an ultra-fast fibre network will easily deliver broadband speeds at least 50 times faster than those currently available in New Zealand.
Within 10 years, upload speeds of 100Mbit/s and download speeds of 100Mbit/s will be the minimum standards for most New Zealand homes and businesses, some of whom are already receiving speeds of 1Gbit/s.
Exactly what is the New Zealand Regional Fibre Group (NZRFG)?
The NZRFG is a group of regional operators including lines companies and local fibre companies, which has come together to support the Government’s efforts to introduce ultra-fast broadband to New Zealand.
Members include Alpine Energy, Aurora Energy, CityLink, Counties Power, Eastland Group, Electricity Ashburton, Enable Networks Ltd, Horizon Energy, Network Tasman, Network Waitaki, Northpower, PowerNet, Unison, Vector, Velocity, Waipa Networks, and WEL Networks. More will join soon.
What part will the NZRFG play in the delivery of fibre to New Zealand schools, homes, and businesses?
The NZRFG sees fibre as the most important global footprint of the 21st century and wants to ensure New Zealanders don’t miss out on what the rest of the world is beginning to benefit from.
That’s why the NZRFG has developed a set of technical and service standards to ensure consistency in the national roll out of fibre optic networks.
Because the NZRFG member companies are spread throughout New Zealand and have existing networks they are able to build regional fibre networks and then link each of those networks.
That will mean someone in the likes of Hawera will have access to the same performance and service as someone in Christchurch.
What will that mean for New Zealand?
Fibre will be the single biggest boost to New Zealand’s infrastructure for decades and we will all reap the benefits, just as we have done from roading, electricity and water.
Fibre will strengthen our local and national economy as it becomes the fabric of modern society. We are building a fibre network for our children, grand children and generations beyond.
Will the smaller townships be forgotten along the way?
No. The NZRFG is about providing communication solutions that will best serve the communities that we as local operators (in many cases community-owned power and lines companies) know so well. We already are.
And the Government has already listed 33 towns and cities which must benefit from fibre through the initial roll-out. They are: Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga , Napier-Hastings , Dunedin, Palmerston North, Nelson, Rotorua, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Invercargill, Kapiti, Wanganui, Gisborne, Blenheim, Pukekohe, Timaru, Taupo, Masterton, Whakatane, Levin, Ashburton, Feilding, Rangiora, Queenstown, Tokoroa, Oamaru, Hawera, Waiheke Island, Waiuku and Greymouth.
Taking fibre to the home/people/premise is about boosting education, health, business connections and entertainment options, while breaking down barriers, removing social disparities, providing energy solutions and so much more that is yet to evolve.
We refer to it as ‘Fibre to the Door’ since it will allow Kiwis to work, live and play from anywhere, anytime.
How long will this take?
The Government wants ultra-fast fibre to be in 75% of New Zealand homes within 10 years.
It also wants 97% of New Zealand schools and 99.7% of New Zealand students gaining access to broadband speeds of 100Mbps or greater within the next six years.
The NZRFG believes this is achievable by working in partnership with the Government, which will provide much of the funding for the implementation of an ultra-fast fibre network.
Has fibre been used before in New Zealand?
It has.
In fact, collectively, NZRFG members have put in place thousands of kilometres of fibre networks since 1996. This has been rolled out (either underground or by attaching it to existing power poles) and progress has increased dramatically the past two years.
Thanks to the efforts of NZRFG members, fibre now runs past the doors of tens of thousands of New Zealand businesses and more than 100 schools.
Ten NZRFG members have invested in fibre networks.
Are there different types of fibre?
Fibre is delivered in two layers, dark fibre, which is passive, and layer 2 which is the light or signal (electronics) that passes through the fibre to bring it to life.
Can anyone use fibre?
Absolutely – once it is within reach of your doorstep, fibre is there for anyone to use – anytime.
Our fibre networks are designed for open access – that means we welcome anyone and everyone to use them.
This will ensure that there will be pure competition and multiple providers of services like telephone lines, internet, television channels and more. And you will be able to use as many or as few of those services as you choose.
NZRFG members all agree that a wholesale-only open access provider should offer services to multiple retail players, driving competition and innovation because that will benefit our economy and save consumers money.
Expected innovation and productivity gains will only be achieved through a vibrant service provider market.
Are there different ways fibre can be delivered?
Just like having a water pipe into your home but without a tap to turn it on, the same can apply to fibre.
Layer 2 fibre means the connection is there, it is up to you when and how you want to use it.
Fibre is secure, fast and reliable.