If everyone in Whanganui took up this free offer it would pump a lot of money into the local economy because more technicians, trench diggers, underground cabling contractors and so on will get jobs.
But that is not the only benefit to the community. When people take up this free offer the great thing about UFB is that it makes your whole internet experience much more pleasant with faster download speeds. According to Amy Adams, Minister for Communications: "In 2008, average broadband speeds were around 2.7 megabits per second. By the end of 2015, average speeds have more than tripled to 9.3 mbps."
That is three times faster than it used to be but using UFB you can actually get up to 30 mbps which is 10 times what most people are used to. Watching videos and downloading or sending large files is so much faster.
Of course you also need to have an existing internet connection (or be prepared to pay for one) to get UFB in the first place and unfortunately, having an internet connection does not always fit into everyone's budget. But the good news is that most internet service providers do not charge any extra for the service when you get UFB installed. There can also sometimes be an added inconvenience. Before UFB can be deployed down a right of way, private road, or within a gated community, all of the property owners must provide written consent.
Depending on demand, it can also take up to eight weeks before it is installed and working, so plan ahead.
Unfortunately, UFB is not the silver bullet some people expect. Some people are disappointed that nothing works faster when it is installed because for them, their computer is too old to handle the new internet speeds and they therefore need to upgrade their computer to take advantage of UFB.
It is like putting high-octane gas into and old car, it is just not going to go any faster. Some websites will not load any faster either, because they have old technology, but overall most things you do on the internet work much better and faster.
At this stage, 100 per cent of Whanganui homes now have the potential to be connected with UFB.
To date, only 19 per cent have taken up the free offer. That is not bad considering the average throughout New Zealand is 20 per cent. However, the electorate of Selwyn, for example, has a whopping 52 per cent of households and businesses who are now connected.
The Government has put up $2 billion to fund this project, so let's make sure we get our fair share of that here in Whanganui before time runs out or the Government changes its mind for some unknown reason. In addition to that, if the Government were to change at the next election, who knows what their policy will be. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth!
Get on the phone to your internet service provider now Whanganui and get UFB installed.
Steve Baron is a Whanganui-based political commentator, author and founder of Better Democracy NZ, and holds degrees in economics and political science. He is standing for Whanganui District Council in October - feedback to: steve@stevebaron.co.nz
