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String’em up - Northland Power hoists fibre high

Published on November 4^th 2009, 7:42am

To deploy a high-speed fibre-optic network in the northern city of Whangarei, Northpower used its overhead structures and line space, as well as substations and existing ducts, resulting in minimal impact on the environment.

Legislation is needed to allow the deployment of fibre networks on existing structures across private land, said Northpower’s fibre and marketing manager Darren Mason, as it’s the only way to provide an affordable superfast broadband rollout for rural New Zealand.

Northpower’s network is a 100km passive optical one, stretching through Whangarei from north to south, with further fibre in the Ruakaka and Dargaville townships.

According to Mason, the network that went live at the start of this year, now offers “true competition to Telecom.” Northpower will act as an open access Layer 2 wholesale provider, with customers buying capacity off retailers. Symmetric speeds for customers of up to 1Gbit/s are possible on the network.

Mason said that presently, TelstraClear operates as a retailer with its Next IP range of services on the Whangarei network, as well as a local data centre. However, from late January next year the network will go fully open access and other retailers can come aboard then.

Communications Day Wed 4 Nov 09 - (217kb PDF)

Find out more about our Fibre developments in the Fibre Network Section

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