Mangawhai to benefit from UFB boost

Extending Northpower Fibre’s ultra-fast broadband fibre network beyond Whangarei will be a significant boost for Northland, says company Chair Nikki Davies-Colley.

Northpower has secured contracts to build UFB networks in 12 Kaipara and Whangarei towns – Kaiwaka, Mangawhai Village, Mangawhai Heads, Maungaturoto, Paparoa, Ruawai, Dargaville, Waipu, Ruakaka, One Tree Point, Waikaraka and Hikurangi.

The four year project will cost around $30 million.

Mrs Davies-Colley says the expansion of Northpower's UFB network through the Government’s UFB2 initiative is a substantial boost to the region as it will take fibre to a further 9000 premises – adding to the 20,000 UFB premises in Whangarei.

“It is fantastic to receive these UFB2 contracts to extend fibre throughout our electricity network because it will be of such benefit to these communities.”

Every build must be completed within 12 months and the first connections are likely to happen one month before the completion of each network build. Hikurangi and Waipu are exceptions, with connections available before Christmas 2017.

The first town to benefit from UFB will be Hikurangi where the build starts in April. This will be followed by Waipu in June and One Tree Point in July. Dargaville West will be underway in January 2018, Ruakaka in March 2018 and Mangawhai Village in September 2018. Dargaville East will begin to receive fibre from February 2019, followed by Mangawhai Heads South in March 2019 and Mangawhai Heads North in August 2019.

The Kaiwaka UFB network build will begin in April 2020, Maungaturoto in June 2020, Waikaraka in September 2020 and Ruawai in November 2020. Work on the Paparoa network will start in January 2021 and be completed in May 2021.

Josie Boyd, General Manager Network Assets, says Northpower is looking forward to continuing its partnership with Crown Fibre Holdings and embarking on this further expansion of the UFB network.

“Fibre broadband is a real enabler for our community and we see building fibre networks as future-proofing investment in our business. Our team has done a great job with the Whangarei UFB build and they are ready for this next challenge,” says Mrs Boyd.