UFB coming soon to home near you

New Zealanders are keeping up with a worldwide trend of 30% year-on-year growth in the use of broadband data.

With work progressing in Queenstown on upgrading to fibre-optic cables to transmit data instead of copper phone lines, smoother streaming of online-hosted video content is expected as are faster upload and download speeds. The change will allow for faster speeds, even with multiple users on more devices.

Telecom retail chief executive Chris Quin said ultra-fast broadband (UFB) offered ''unprecedented opportunities'' for enhanced collaboration and connectivity with friends, family and businesses.

Ultra-fast broadband is already available to corporate customers nationally, with around 5000 connections so far.

Telecom was committed to having a retail UFB product within the next few months for customers in places where infrastructure company Chorus was installing fibre-optic cable, including parts of Queenstown, Mr Quin said.

''Over the past year we have been developing and internally trialling our ultra-fast broadband products with staff in their homes. We're now at that stage of limited final testing and refinement which will allow us to make any final tweaks.''

''As with everything we do, but especially for the new data future, it's been absolutely vital to take our time to get the customer experience right before a widespread launch.''

Even with the fibre-optic cables installed mostly underground, for people to get UFB a new fibre connection which runs from the street to their home was needed, as was some new equipment.

When a resident wishes to install UFB, a full day is needed for the installation process.

''You'll also need to be available on-site as the installation team will be working both inside and outside of your home,'' information from Telecom said.

The two primary methods of delivering fibre to a home were ducting or overhead wiring.