Australia's Transfield lands Crown fibre sub-contract
WEL Netowrks appoints Transfield for $202 million central North Island roll-out.
The Ultra Fast Fibre consortium, led by lines company WEL Networks - has appointed Australia's Transfield as its engineering partner for its portion of the government's $1.35 billion ultrafast broadband (UFB) project.
The total budget for the rollout has been put at $300 million.
Late last year, WEL landed a UFB contract that covers six of the 33 Crown fibre regions: Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Hawera and Tokoroa, covering around 430,000 people.
Opposition parties may seize on Transfield's appointment as an example of UFB sub-contracts being handed to Johhny Foreigner, but the Australian company is already well-established on this side of the Tasman.
In 2009, Telecom's Chorus division signed 10-year contracts, collectively worth $3 billion, that divided enginnering sub-contract work between three Australian companies Leighton Engineering (aka Visionstream), which was awarded Auckland and Northland; Downer and Transfield.
Chorus is already in talks with Christchurch UFB winner Enable Networks about a 50/50 partnershiip, giving Telecom a presence in one of the few Crown fibre regions it didn't bag.
The Transfield connection may help Chorus get a foot in the door with Ultra Fast Fibre, too.
NBR staff
Wed, 22 Jun 2011
Wed, 22 Jun 2011
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Australia's Transfield lands Crown fibre sub-contract
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