Half of Auckland can now get faster internet

Amy Adams said the government had also given 90 per cent of rural businesses and households access to broadband. Photo / Mark Mitchell

More than half of Auckland can now get access to ultra-fast broadband, the Government says.

Communications Minister Amy Adams released the latest quarterly report on the rollout of high-speed internet today, which showed that nearly 25 per cent of households or businesses were connected to fibre.

Adams said this was an "outstanding achievement this far into the build".

The Government has set a goal of connecting 75 per cent of New Zealanders to ultra-fast broadband (UFB) by 2019, which allows for peak internet speeds of around 100 megabits per second.

The latest report showed that fibre was now available to all homes and businesses in 19 out of 33 towns and cities.

That meant it was available to around 1 million homes, businesses and schools, or 2.4 million individuals.

In Auckland, UFB is available to 52 per cent of households or businesses - up from 48 per cent in the previous quarter.

In Wellington, coverage is 50 per cent, and in Christchurch it is 67 per cent.

The number of households and businesses connected to UFB increased to 240,625 in the last quarter, up from 196,609 in the previous quarter.

Adams said the Government had also achieved a separate goal of giving 90 per cent of rural businesses and households access to broadband.