Whanganui fibre usage returns to pre Covid-19 levels after record highs during lockdown

UFF CEO John Hanna says more than 50 per cent of Whanganui's 21,000 connections have now connected to the service. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui's fibre usage has returned to pre-Covid-19 lockdown levels.

UltraFast Fibre (UFF) chief executive John Hanna said as people returned to their normal routines, usage had dropped.

"With most people back at work and school, and the end of the daily Covid-19 livestreamed updates, household fibre use has returned to pre-Covid levels during the
day, with continued peaks in the evenings when more people are at home using more internet," Hanna said.

On March 27, the first Friday of alert level 4 lockdown, Whanganui experienced 36 per cent increase in internet traffic above a typical Friday night. Usage spiked at 31.03 Gbps, the highest it had ever been.

From March 3-9, two weeks before the lockdown, the peak was 23.43 Gbps.

From June 2-8, the last week of New Zealand being in alert level 2, the peak was 22.27 Gbps.

Hanna said Whanganui's fibre uptake had steadily increased throughout this period, with the area surpassing 50 per cent uptake last month.

"This means that more than 50 per cent of the nearly 21,000 of the households
and businesses that are able to connect to the UFF fibre network through a local retail service provider are now doing so."

Three hundred of these new fibre connections were switched on from February, with most connecting once the alert level 3 restrictions were lifted on May 13.

Around 25 per cent of new connections went to households with school-aged children or teachers that did not have a suitable internet connection.

These new connections are part of the Ministry of Education's programme to get more kids connected for remote learning.

With UFF waiving its normal wholesale charges for these connections for six months, Hanna encouraged those who have not connected to fibre do so.

"With a free residential install and our retailers offering faster, more reliable and consistent broadband over fibre often at cheaper prices to copper and wireless services, there's never been a better time for Whanganui residents to make the switch."