March start for Chorus 10 Gbps fibre trial

World's fastest broadband heading to New Zealand

Next month a group of New Zealanders will test the world's fastest fibre broadband experience. From mid-March, 30 volunteers will get early access to 10 Gbps.

The 10 Gbps trial is a collaborative project. It will use Nokia's XGS-PON (passive optical network) fibre technology.

Because Chorus is a wholesale broadband provider, its retail partners will also help with the trial. Kordia, 2degrees, Trustpower and Stuff Fibre are among the first retail service providers to sign up to take part in the trial. Others are expected to follow.

10 Gbps volunteers needed

To take part in the trial, the 30 volunteers need to already be signed up for a 1 Gbps plan with one of the partner RSPs. They also have to live in one of three Chorus exchange areas: Johnsonville in Wellington, Avondale and Birkenhead in Auckland.

Another requirement is a device with a 10 Gbps port. Trialists also need to be prepared to provide feedback on the service.

The trial is most suitable for people who work with large data files, say movies or high-quality audio. It may also be useful for homes with a number of high-end gamers or use other demanding applications.

Now is the time for 10 Gbps

There are good reasons to start testing now.

First, New Zealand's UFB fibre infrastructure is ready for faster services. That was the plan from the outset. Moving to 10 Gbps means new equipment at either end of the fibre. It's an upgrade.

Second, it's good to be ahead of the demand curve. When UFB was first dreamed up, planners expected one in five people who could get fibre to take it up by 2020.

Today, roughly half the people who can connect to fibre do. That number is set to increase as we get closer to the Rugby World Cup.

There are reasons why uptake is greater than expected. Netflix and Lightbox are the usual suspects. But that's immaterial. The point is fibre growth has been well ahead of predicted demand curves. The same could be true for 10 Gbps.

Prestige and competition

Another, less tangible, reason to get cracking with 10 Gbps is prestige. New Zealand would be among only a handful of countries to offer the service. It's a testament to our network and planners that we get there early.

On a more practical level, Chorus managed to announce its service ahead of competitors. It faces a form of competition from ISPs who want to unbundle fibre. Offering a faster 10 Gbps service was one way an unbundler might have differentiated. That's no longer an option.

Likewise, 10 Gbps puts clear blue water between UFB fibre and fixed wireless broadband. When 5G arrives, it, in theory, could offer wireless data speeds that match today's best UFB speeds.

On paper the 5G specification could see 10 Gbps fixed wireless services. That is years off. Apart from anything else, it needs more spectrum than is available to cellular companies either now or after the next round of auctions.

Get ready for faster speeds

A more subtle point is that having 10 Gbps now encourages customers to prepare for faster broadband.

As things stand few homes can make full use of the speed. Devices operating at 10 Gbps are scarce. The line speed is much faster than home WiFi networks. You can buy network storage devices that run at 10 Gbps, but slower speeds are more common.

Even among the homes that have wired networks, many can't handle 10 Gbps at the moment. The most popular residential Ethernet routers offer 1 Gbps.

Chorus chief customer officer, Ed Hyde says the service will underpin New Zealand's digital future. He says it will "continue our decade long commitment to innovation and keeping New Zealand's broadband infrastructure at the cutting edge."

If the trial is a success, Chorus aims to eventually roll out the 10 Gbps service nationwide. Before then, it may extend the trial to more users.

Provincial Growth Fund to connect marae to net

The government will spend $21 million of the Provincial Growth Fund connecting marae to the internet and establishing a network of Regional Digital Hubs.

The Hubs will be places where people who may not have internet access can get on line. They will offer wi-fi and co-working spaces. The money is on top of the $80 million set aside earlier to boost the second phase of the Rural Broadband Initiative and the Mobile Blackspot fund. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it is part of the government's commitment to bridging the digital divide.

The first marae to receive PGF funding for digital connectivity are Oromahoe (Te Tai Tokerau), Te Houhanga (Te Tai Tokerau) and Raupunga Te Huki (Heretaunga).

Vodafone dangles Sky Sport carrot

Vodafone is offering 12 months free Sky Sport to customers with eligible home broadband plans who sign for Vodafone TV. Eligible plans start at around $120 a month while Sky Sport normally cost around $30 a month.

Tonga cable returns after two weeks offline

The single submarine cable connecting Tonga's main island of Tongatapu to the rest of the world has been restored. It was offline for two weeks after being cut on January 20. When the maintenance ship restored the main island cable it discovered the link from there to the Northern Islands was also cut and is now working to fix that.