Saturn mulls rolling out extended cable

By RICHARD BRADDELL

WELLINGTON - Saturn Communications is investigating the construction of a broadband cable that would run from Auckland to Christchurch servicing telecommunications and television customers.

While there had been speculation that the project could be activated this year, chief executive Jack Matthews said no decisions had been made.

On cost, he said it was likely to be "a big number."

The company, which currently offers cable television and telephone services to most of Wellington, has not declared its hand on where it will go next. While Auckland has not been ruled out, Christchurch is thought the most likely option, given its favourable topography.

Nevertheless, Mr Matthews said the cable was likely to be a combination of submarine and land-based and if Saturn made the commitment would fill a gap in domestic capacity that would emerge when the high-capacity Southern Cross cable began service between North America and Auckland.

"We are a broadband company and we are a network company and increasingly broadband backbone networks are showing value around the world, so it's not an illogical assumption," Mr Matthews said.

"We have clearly demonstrated over the last few years that we are a business that invests in broadband networks. If one assumes, as we have said, that we want to expand beyond Wellington, then it is logical for us to want to extend that broadband network strategy to link markets together."