AB Electrical is here to help our customers through the sometimes confusing aspects of moving to UFB fibre, which has been made more complicated by the announcement of the copper network being turned off. We don't want our customers to panic and we can provide guidance and assistance as required.
New Zealand’s oldest phone and internet infrastructure is slowly being retired as Chorus continues to modernise and future-proof the broadband network. After the first landline telephones arrived in New Zealand in 1881, a copper phone line network was built across the country, ultimately reaching 98 percent of us where we live and work.
This copper network which has served Kiwis well for their landline and more recently, internet needs, for over a century is now becoming redundant.
As the hyper-fast and reliable fibre broadband reaches more than 75 percent of Kiwi homes and businesses, now is the time to switch off small sections of the old network which we are no longer dependent on.
“In the coming months and years ahead, we plan to retire the copper network and we’re in the early phase of that. At the moment it’s going to be very, very few people. Less than one percent of homes and businesses that use copper today,” says Chorus spokesperson Steve Pettigrew.
The changeover will only affect a few hundred homes and businesses during this trial, and they will have six months to prepare and assess their options.
Chorus will contact those affected directly by sending them an information pack in the mail. “If you don’t hear from Chorus, there’s nothing you need to do. And that means it should put nobody under any pressure to move away from their copper services.”
Copper will be retired only in places which already have fibre available so it will strand no customers without connectivity. The good news for those customers affected is they will already have access to the fastest, most reliable broadband.
The actual process of retiring requires no disruptive work and is environmentally friendly, essentially requiring the flick of a switch to power down the relevant section of the copper network.
In places that don’t have fibre available, Chorus will continue to maintain and support the copper network where it’s needed to provide reliable phone and broadband. This means customers will still have access to services like VDSL, which has the same benefits as the fibre network.
For those Kiwis who will need to make a change from copper, AB Electrical recommends fibre broadband as the fastest and most reliable option available.
With more Kiwis working and playing from home than ever, a fast and reliable internet connection has never been more essential. With fibre plans costing a similar amount to alternates, making the move is a great way to ensure you have the best internet available in your home.
What you need to know
1.75 percent of New Zealanders can now connect to fibre as of December last year, increasing to 87 percent by December 2022.
2. Where fibre is available more than one in two have already connected, far exceeding forecasts at the start of the fibre build.
3. As more and more of us move to fibre, telco companies are thinking about how they might start phasing out parts of the copper network.
4. Rural areas where fibre is not available today or planned, copper will continue to offer landline and broadband services.
5. Areas where fibre is available there’ll be no ‘switch off’ date for the copper network, instead copper will be phased out gradually in local areas only after everyone has moved to fibre.
If you want to know more about your own broadband options, talk to our friendly team. If you want to find out more or to see if your address is being affected head on over to Chorus, it has an interactive map to show the affected areas.
AB Electrical does not want any of our customers to panic that they have to make the switch now, but we can help guide you through the process to make it as easy as possible to make the switch. AB Electrical has actively helped our customers with the setup of new services in their homes and we ensure they understand what is involved, as there has sometimes been some confusion with Chorus and their ISP. Contact us today - 0800 688 244
Get in touch to book a job or request free, no obligation advice.
Tell us a little about you and the project and we’ll be in touch, fast!