New Zealand operator Spark has announced that more than 50% of its copper-based broadband customers have migrated onto newer broadband technologies.
The operator has set a target of moving at least 85% of its customers on to newer technologies by June 2020. The proportion has improved from 16% two years ago and 37% a year ago.
Around 34% of Spark's former ADSL and VDSL customers are now on fiber, including New Zealand's government-led Ultrafast Broadband (UFB) FTTH network, with 16% on wireless broadband delivered over the operator's 4G and 4.5G mobile networks.
According to the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, as of March there were 1.3 million users able to connect to the UFB network, but only 550,000 had made the switch.
“Obviously fiber is a fantastic technology for households who are using a lot of data, and where it is the right technology for them we’re trying to transition as many customers as possible over to a fiber connection,” Spark interim CEO for home, mobile and business Grant McBeath said.
“We’ve done a lot of work with Chorus, Enable, Ultrafast Fibre, Northpower and Unison to simplify and streamline the installation process. With the uptake of fiber accelerating as customers see the benefits and more addresses have fiber as an option, this work will continue.”