KEY POINTS:
Demand for high-speed internet has forced North Shore City Council to contradict its own environmental policy.
The longstanding policy requires all new cables to be placed underground with the aim of ridding streets of the clutter of poles and wires.
But the environment-friendly policy is now clashing with the council's economic development goal of having a modern fast broadband service.
In March, it set out to link 43 schools, six libraries and 15 council offices to an urban fibre-optic broadband network in a joint venture with Vector Communications.
The venture won a $4.1 million grant for the task from the Government's Broadband Challenge. Infrastructure and environment chairman Tony Barker said yesterday the council would make an exception to its policy and support a Vector proposal to rig a 4km section of the 38km network on poles.
This was to stretch the budget so that connections could be made to 51 schools with a benefit to more than 30,000 students.
Overhead cables would add to that list Long Bay College, Long Bay Primary, Westlake Boys High, Forrest Hill Primary, Birkdale Intermediate and Birkdale North Primary.
"It's unfortunate not having it put underground but if we don't [use overhead wires] a whole host of schools will be disadvantaged," said Mr Barker. "We are doing this 4km to save $400,000 so we can do those schools as planned. As it is there are 17 schools we cannot do this year and we will ask for more money to finish the whole thing, so all schools will be equal."
City economic development manager Roger Matthews said it was five times cheaper to sling the cable on existing poles than to lay them in a new trench.
The cost of linking all schools by an underground fibre-optic cable was estimated at $4.5 million to $6 million.
In a report to councillors, he said it was timely to debate underground versus overhead cables.
Lines companies preferred to install aerial cables because they let them reach the greatest number of customers for the lowest cost.
"Communities have a stark choice: if they want to get modern high-speed broadband the will have to accept overhead cables.
"If they don't, the lines companies will invest in those communities that will allow overhead."
Mr Matthews said this meant some newer streets without poles could miss out on fibre-optic cable services.
Mr Barker said aerial cables would still need resource consent.
The principal of one of the 17 North Shore schools that are not in the current connection budget said a high-speed service was important for modern teaching.
Julien LeSueur of Pinehill School said: "We would love to have high-speed links to do things like video conferences and broadcasting across the internet, which is the way our kids are learning these days. But we have to be patient, because it's coming to schools at no cost."
Hooking up
* North Shore City wants to link schools, libraries and council offices to an urban fibre-optic broadband network
* It could cost up to $6 million to link schools by an underground cable.
* Overhead cables would cost a fifth of an underground network.
