Experts in town to check fibre progress

Simon Mackenzie says Vector wants to bid for Government support to extend its fibre network. Photo / Steven McNicholl

International fibre experts are in town to run an eye over the development of New Zealand's Government-backed billion dollar fibre broadband network.

Members of the Fibre to the Home Council Asia Pacific, a technology vendor-dominated group with an interest in pushing the development of fibre networks, are meeting in Auckland this week with Ministry of Economic Development staff and local infrastructure players.

Singapore-based president Loke Yoon Kun said it gave the council's members an opportunity to learn more about the Government initiative, which was of considerable interest to its members.

He said the economic recession had focused attention on the growing Asia-Pacific region.

The region leads the world in fibre to the home, accounting for 77 per cent of worldwide deployments.

In Singapore, the Government has set a target of 95 per cent of homes, businesses and schools to be able to connect to the fibre network by 2012.

Here the Government has targeted ultra-fast broadband to 75 per cent of New Zealanders within 10 years.

Loke described fibre as "limitless" and said the timing could not be better to gain maximum economic benefit from a fibre deployment.

He did warn against a "cookie-cutter" approach to fibre deployment, saying the current fibre network roll-out in his native Singapore would not necessarily suit New Zealand.

Loke said while fibre to all New Zealand homes would be ideal, wireless alternatives to some rural households may be necessary.

The council will be meeting today with representatives of the Regional Fibre Group, a lobby group of 17 network and fibre companies including listed lines company Vector, that hope to benefit from the Government's billion dollar broadband fibre roll-out.

Vector chief executive Simon Mackenzie yesterday confirmed it had expressed interest in bidding for Government support to extend its fibre network in Auckland and Wellington.

Mackenzie said in addition to participating in the Government's network roll-out, it would seek to use its technology expertise to form a consortium of content providers and vendors to provide services over the network.

Loke said an update to members yesterday focused on how to get content providers and vendors to use fibre networks, likening it to getting cars on a highway.