Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has signed an agreement with Chorus, a telecommunications utility provider, to supply blown fiber-optic cable systems that will be part of the national program to deliver ultra-fast broadband services to New Zealanders.
This deal advances the New Zealand government’s ambition to deliver a national Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network to three-quarters of the population by 2019, so that New Zealanders can experience vastly improved speeds than they typically do today. Chorus has been selected as one of the infrastructure companies to build the fiber-optic network, which is expected to support wide ranging social and economic growth initiatives for New Zealand.
Ericsson will supply components of its Ribbonet ABF system, which includes fiber cables, microduct, tools, and all related accessories.
"We are at the start of the fiber journey, and it is critical we make the right infrastructure choices that will set us up for a successful future," said Chris Dyhrberg, general manager for network build at Chorus. "The agreement with Ericsson reinforces our commitment to using quality products to build our new fiber network and to working with suppliers that we can be confident will support us in delivering our commitments. This agreement is a significant part of making sure we get our fiber network build right, at the outset."
Alfred Ling, Head of Ericsson New Zealand, says this is a critical segment of one of the most important infrastructure projects yet undertaken in New Zealand. "Air-blown fiber is an extremely efficient system to install, allowing for incremental expansion without additional significant civil works. It cuts down deployment time when compared with traditional fiber installation methods."
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