Chorus has removed a number of subcontractors 'who could not demonstrate they were doing the right thing by their staff'. File photo / Supplied
Chorus has removed a number of subcontractors 'who could not demonstrate they were doing the right thing by their staff'. File photo / Supplied
COMMENT
Your editorial "Signs show Chorus needs to up its game" (NZ Herald, October 23) paints an unfair picture of Chorus' efforts to connect New Zealanders to fibre ahead of Rugby World Cup.
Undoubtedly we saw a surge in orders for fibre ahead of the tournament. The record 26,000 fibreconnections in July alone saw our technicians connecting more than a thousand homes and businesses across New Zealand each working day.
In that same month, we reduced the lead time for a fibre install to just six days while keeping customer satisfaction with their installer high. Eighty per cent rated their technician eight, nine or 10 out of 10.
Since the mid-decade we've made some dramatic changes to the way our free fibre installs are handled. What used to be three visits to the home is now just one for about 75 per cent of installs.
While we would like every fibre install to be carried out perfectly, occasionally mistakes are made. When this is the case and we're made aware of the problem we apologise and then we make it right.
The fibre installs you cite for both Jasmine Kunju and Jon Baulcomb are two such examples. We are enormously disappointed they occurred, but we're now in touch with both to ensure they get their fibre installed properly and to their satisfaction.
Your editorial also made mention of Chorus blacklisting a number of its subcontractors.
In the last six months, we have worked to reduce the risk of employment law breaches amongst our subcontractor workforce. This includes removing a number who we felt could not demonstrate they were doing the right thing by their staff.
With 10 years of fibre build behind us, we're entering a new phase of our fibre build programme, our field workforce is scaling down rather than up. We will work to ensure we retain the skilled fibre technicians we need to meet demand and that each and every one is fairly treated and fairly paid for the work they do.
You made mention of "only around half …" having taken up fibre. That more than one-in-two homes and businesses have connected is actually an impressive uptake of a new technology. Certainly it is the fastest adoption curve of any recent technological change and one that is all the more impressive against a 2011 Government target of one in five to have connected by 2020.
In fact, as yesterday's IDC ConsumerScape research highlighted, New Zealand's fibre adoption rate of 44 per cent is more than double the average worldwide rate, and second only to Japan.
Kate McKenzie. File photo / Peter Meecham
We are now very close to the end of the first phase of the Ultra-Fast Broadband.
Before the end of the year 75 per cent of Kiwis will have fibre available, the world's best broadband technology.
In Chorus, we remain proud of our role in a public-private partnership that has delivered one of New Zealand's largest infrastructure projects ahead of schedule and on budget.
