Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the release of Chorus’ year three deployment plan for the rollout of the Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband programme.

Chorus has confirmed that work to deploy the UFB network in Feilding, Gisborne, Greymouth, Kapiti, Levin, Pukekohe, Upper Hutt and Waiuku will start between July 2013 and June 2014.

Once work has started in the regions covered in Chorus’ year three deployment plan, the UFB rollout will have commenced in 32 towns and cities throughout New Zealand.

Adams says the deployment plan released shows good progress is being made on a project that will ultimately transform the Kiwi economy.

“The UFB initiative is central to the government’s economic growth plan," she says.

"The Government’s broadband policies are a big part of our plans to lift the long-term performance of our economy, create jobs, and boost incomes.

“The future of broadband is in fibre, and it will bring significant gains for productivity, innovation and global reach.”

The UFB initiative involves Government investment of $1.35 billion – alongside private sector funding – to roll out fibre to schools, hospitals, and 90% of businesses by 2016, and links to homes and remaining businesses completed by 2019.

The Government has a separate $300 million Rural Broadband Initiative to address the specific broadband infrastructure needs of rural New Zealand.

It will bring faster broadband to 86% of rural homes and businesses, with peak speeds of at least 5Mbps.

Before the RBI was launched, about 20% of rural homes and businesses had access to 5Mbps, and about half of the rural community used dial-up.