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Telecom NZ eyes $1bn state broadband plans
29 January 2010
New Zealand’s incumbent operator is suggesting an alternative solution to the government proposal for a national fibre-to-the-home project
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New Zealand
fibre-to-the-home
Telecom NZ
FTTH
Australia
Telstra
Comment: Both New Zealand and Australia are planning imaginative government-sponsored projects to deliver fibre to most of their countries’ homes and businesses. Australia and its incumbent, Telstra, are still warily circling each other in an attempt to sort out a peaceful resolution. Across the water in New Zealand, things seem a lot more amicable.
Telecom New Zealand is planning to propose participation in the government’s plans to develop an ultrafast national fibre broadband network. The government is to invest more than $1 billion in the network, which will be divided into 33 regions.
The state-owned Crown Fibre Holdings will go through the proposals from potential partners, which are required to submit bids by January 29. The state issued a formal invitation in 2009 to select partners for the network.
Telecom New Zealand — headed by former BT executive Paul Reynolds — will submit a fully compliant preferred commercial model proposal, as well as an alternative commercial model proposal.
The alternative model focuses on delivering a national network using Telecom NZ’s fibre-to-the-node programme for the government’s vision of fibre-to-the-home.
The government is yet to decide the time-frame for selecting its local partners in the project. GTB