Chorus, who operates the Ultrafast broadband network, has announced that it is extending its Hyperfibre broadband service across the country offering a 4Gbps (gigabit per second) connection with capacity to double that to 8Gbps.
This is a game-changing move for broadband, making New Zealand one of top countries internationally to offer broadband speeds faster than one gigabit per second.
"Hyperfibre unleashes a new era of hyper-connectivity, enabling businesses to innovate and supercharge their digital operations," said Chorus chief customer officer, Ed Hyde. "It is the ultimate in internet and to be able to offer access to more than three million kiwis from today is an incredible development for the country."
Got the need for speed? Here’s what you need to know about Hyperfibre broadband in New Zealand.
“Hyperfibre” UFB broadband is the next generation of fibre broadband technology, offering speeds never experienced before in New Zealand. Hyperfibre offers and ultra-smooth, high-capacity connection. It offers a low latency connection, which means the technology can process a high volume of data with minimal delay. The system is symmetric, which means the speed is the same for uploading and downloading data.
Hyperfibre was launched in February in areas such as Queenstown, Wanaka and Cromwell. With the expansion Hyperfibre will now be available in towns and cities where three million Kiwis live
Hyperfibre connections are suitable for small businesses, or those requiring high speed capacity to contribute to a digital business while working from home.
The symmetric high speed upload and download speeds offered by Hyperfibre will suit companies sending large amounts of data to the cloud.
A Hyperfibre broadband plan at home will offer a huge increase in download and upload speeds.
"Hyperfibre is seen as ideal for organisations with demanding, mission-critical data access needs. Early customers are already seeing the benefits," says Vocus chief executive, consumer and business, Taryn Hamilton.
"The speeds we can offer these days are truly staggering. If you told a Kiwi internet user a few years ago that they could get a 4Gbps connection at their house they would have laughed at you."
The expanded network puts Hyperfibre in reach of Kiwi homes. But do you really need it?
In short probably not – most Kiwi homes wouldn’t be able to put a dent in a Hyperfibre broadband plan. And, with plans starting from $149 per month, most data hungry homes will find Gigabit broadband plans more cost effective, with plenty of data capacity.
Although, as 4K TV streaming and cloud-based gaming service develop, this may change in the future. Taryn Hamilton Vocus chief executive, consumer and business says, ”If internet history has taught us anything, technology will find a way to use all that bandwidth."
Now available in all Chorus UFB1 fibre areas Hyperfibre prices are: