We did it!

After a very intense eight week fundraising campaign the Coatesville UFB subcommittee can confirm they have met the required target for pledges. The success of the fundraising project is a huge testament to the wonderful community that we live in called Coatesville. There have been many incredibly generous people who, even though they personally may not benefit from UFB, have given selflessly to help the community as a whole. What happens from here? The Coatesville Residents and Ratepayers Association will enter into an agreement with Chorus shortly. After that has been concluded, Chorus will begin their detailed planning for the rollout of Fibre to our area and will obtain necessary consents etc. Chorus has indicated physical build should commence within the next 6 months.

How will fibre be rolled-out to Coatesville?

There are two phases: Phase 1 will see UFB infrastructure deployed by Chorus along streets in the Coatesville Fibre Zone. Phase 2 will involve getting individual houses and local businesses hooked up to fibre broadband services.
Right now, we are urgently focused on Phase 1.

 

Do I need to pay more once Phase 1 is complete?

There is no further payment obligation on households or businesses once Phase 1 is complete.
Phase 1 ensures relevant households and businesses will have the opportunity to order fibre services and complete their individual fibre installations when desired.  You are not obligated to sign up for UFB.
In Phase 2 you will engage with your chosen UFB retailer to arrange delivery of Fibre from the road to your home.  This process will trigger Chorus installation technicians working closely with you to arrange the optimal fibre connection to your home or business. 
We have been advised by Chorus that:

• Each household is entitled to a free standard installation of up to 200m from the road.
• Shared drives with multiple dwellings can pool their 200m allocations (e.g. 4 homes = 800m free)
• If that’s still not enough, then there are numerous ways to reduce the cost of any additional fibre runs, such as arranging your own trenching.
• Their technicians will work with you (and your neighbours in the case of private roads and ROWs) to achieve pragmatic and cost-effective fibre installations.
  
  

More Details / FAQ

Why Fibre?
Fibre is the “Gold Standard” of broadband. It delivers unrivaled speed, capacity and reliability.

Source: Commerce Commission

With Fibre you get:

• Reliable Internet!  You will have a dedicated and reliable connection where everyone can do what they want, when they want, without interruption
• Fast Internet!  You can have multiple devices all experiencing top speeds
• Say goodbye to buffering!  Your download and upload speeds will be consistently high – no more buffering videos, stuttering video calls, or laggy connections.

• Add value to your homes and rentals!  Good broadband is a key factor people consider when buying a home or looking for a rental property.  Having Fibre availability will likely increase the value of your home well beyond the establishment costs (including the contribution we are seeking now): https://www.bayleys.co.nz/news/residential/can-ultra-fast-broadband-add-value-to-your-property

For more details on the benefits of Fibre internet please see the weblinks below:
https://www.broadbandcompare.co.nz/n/broadband-delivering-great-streaming-experience
https://www.broadbandcompare.co.nz/n/benefits-of-switching-to-fibre
https://www.chorus.co.nz/broadband/fibre/for-home
http://www.chorus.co.nz/blog/the-case-for-100mbps-or-more
https://www.chorus.co.nz/blog/what-impacts-your-speed
https://www.chorus.co.nz/blog/fibre-making-a-big-difference-for-small-business

 

What is the Coatesville Fibre Zone or CFZ?

The Chorus and Government offer to deploy fibre in Coatesville applies specifically to the highlighted area shown in the map below.  According to GIS mapping undertaken by Chorus there are approximately 642 household and physical businesses within this area.

What if I’m a Coatesville resident but our home is not in the Coatesville Fibre Zone?

Please note that Chorus is reliant on significant Government UFB funding together with our own community funding to deliver fibre to the Coatesville Fibre Zone under Phase 1.  It has been made very clear to the CRRA that right now there is no additional Crown funding to support an expansion to other areas of Coatesville. 
If we succeed with our fundraising then through the Phase 1 fibre roll-out we will have established a foundation of UFB infrastructure in the area that we hope to leverage in the future to expand coverage to you and the rest of our community not covered in Phase 1.  Clearly that is dependent on more Government funding becoming available.  The CRRA certainly remains committed to working with Chorus and Government to deliver fibre to the rest of Coatesville in as soon as possible.
If we don’t succeed with this fundraising effort, then this will certainly delay any fibre rollout to the entire Coatesville community for many years.

What is the cost of final installation of fibre to our home or business?

Currently we are focused on Phase 1, which is raising the $300,000 to get the core fibre infrastructure in place.
Phase 1 will bring UFB to every road in the CFZ.
Once this is done, Phase 2 will commence and households will engage with UFB retailers for the final installation from the road to each house.
Chorus have advised that each household is entitled to a free standard installation of up to 200m.
If there is a right of way or private road, it will be possible for neighbors to pool their allocation of 200m, e.g. if there is a ROW with 4 dwellings at the end, the total standard allocation would be 4 x 200 = 800m.
For distances beyond this, Chorus have advised that they will take a pragmatic approach to achieve cost effective installations in order to ensure this rollout is a success. This includes options such as allowing a property owner to dig their own trenches and providing ducting at cost.

When will Fibre be available?

Chorus has indicated that the project should commence within the next six months. It will take approximately 12 months to complete the build.

Thank you to everyone who supported this community initiative.