CLOSING DOWN OF COPPER PHONE SERVICES – WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU:
Chorus plans to start shutting down its copper phone and broadband network from September, 2021, The Commerce Commission report that use of the copper network has fallen sharply in the past six years, due mainly to businesses and consumers switching to new fibre services.
Once an area has fibre it doesn’t make economic sense to keep the copper in the ground. Running two parallel access networks is costly and inefficient. There’s no engineering reason to have copper running alongside fibre.
As the hyper fast and reliable fibre broadband reaches 87% of Kiwi homes and businesses, the time has come to start switching off small sections of the old network which we are no longer dependent on.
The closures will begin on a small scale. Fewer than 5000 customers – less than 1% of all the customers still on the copper network – would find their service withdrawn by the end of this year, in what the company described as a trial. However, customers outside of those “limited initial trial areas” shouldn’t feel any pressure to move off copper. Chorus is obliged to give customers six months’ notice that their service will be withdrawn and will be contacting those affected directly by sending them an information pack in the mail.
Chorus will begin the switch-off in urban areas where the take-up of fibre-optic ultrafast broadband (UFB) is already high.
Copper will be retired only in places which already have fibre available so no customers will be stranded without connectivity.
The actual process of retiring requires no disruptive work and is environmentally friendly, essentially requiring the flick of a switch to power down the relevant section of the copper network.
In places that don’t have fibre available, Chorus will continue to maintain and support the copper network where it’s needed to provide reliable phone and broadband. They cannot stop providing the copper service until it meets all of the consumer protections in the Copper Withdrawal Code. There will also be obligations on retailers to ensure that “vulnerable consumers” have appropriate means of contacting 111 for emergency services in the even of a power outage.
Below are some questions and answers that might interest you:
Q: Will I have to pay extra to change from copper to fibre service?A: Chorus must install fibre at no cost. However, the company you choose to supply your phone or broadband services with (eg Vodafone, Spark etc) may charge additional costs. It is worth shopping around for the best deal for you.
Q: Can Chorus just stop selling copper services?
A: Chorus must continue to provide the network in your neighbourhood until an equivalent fibre service is readily available which should be at no additional cost. The earliest date for copper to be gradually withdrawn in New Zealand is when the copper withdrawal code comes into force.
Q: How can I find out what broadband technologies are available in my location?
A: You can see what technologies are available, and will become available, in your area by entering your address on the website www.broadbandmap.nz
Citizen’s Advice Burea 0800 367 222
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