Cable enables South Island telecommunications battle

A new battle between telecommunications companies Telecom and TelstraSaturn will officially begin in Christchurch tomorrow.

A $250 million investment is ready to be switched on after TelstraSaturn's fibre-optic cable was hauled ashore at Waimairi Beach.

The cable will connect to 1350km of Christchurch street cabling that TelstraSaturn is installing for telephony, internet, and cablenet services.

The company had 35 per cent of the Wellington market, and aimed to attain that level in Christchurch, said its corporate development adviser Anna Shipley.

It sets the scene for a battle with Telecom, the dominant player in the Christchurch market.

The TelstraSaturn services were now available in several "nodes" in the city, and in 16 to 18 months would be available to all of Christchurch's 110,000 or so households, said Ms Shipley.

TelstraSaturn's debut in Christchurch has provided 120 jobs for local people, and the company is officially launching its arrival tomorrow.

The fibre-optic cable hauled ashore from the cablelaying ship Searanger at Waimairi Beach on Monday is only as thick as a 50c piece, but will at least triple the bandwidth available in New Zealand.

The cable runs from Wellington to Christchurch via Kaikoura, buried in a 1.5m trench in the seabed, and the company plans to extend it to Dunedin eventually.

Wiring up the city involves a mixture of underground and overhead cabling by TelstraSaturn.

- CHRISTCHURCH STAR