Crown Fibre: fight turns to national organisation [[don't open!!!!!!!!!!!]]
Remaining Local Fibre Company contracts will be signed within weeks. Now a new, national fight looms. The two contenders:
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Infrastructure
Assuming a few minor wrinkles are ironed out, the government will sign a contract with the Telecom-Vodafone consortium for its $300 million, six-year rural broadband initiative (RBI), communications minister Steven Joyce told the Telcon11 conference in Auckland today.
With the urban-focussed, $1.35 billion ultrafast broadband (UFB) project, the remaining Local Fibre Company contracts should be signed "within weeks" the minister said.
Most local fibre regions are still up in their air, with Telecom squaring off against lines company Vector in Auckland, the Central Fibre Consortium in multiple central North Island areas and Enable Networks in Christchurch.
But the minister was already looking ahead, telling the audience that a "national operating arrangement" will be needed to link regional companies set up under the UFB.
Telecom could be involved in such a national operating arrangement, Mr Joyce said.
"bloody good"
Chris Keall
Thu, 07 Apr 2011
Thu, 07 Apr 2011
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Crown Fibre: fight turns to national organisation [[don't open!!!!!!!!!!!]]
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