Moving into a fibre revolution

Telecom and WorldxChange Communications (WxC) claim we are a step closer to a revolution in the way users interact with the cyber-world, as a result of a joint venture between the two organisations to deliver phone and broadband services over an open access fibre network.The fibre optic network is being piloted in Kensington Park, Orewa, in preparation for another 13 community development projects. It will be extended to another 3500 homes in Yaldhurst, Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell, Manukau, and Red Beach in Whangaparaoa. Matt Crockett, CEO of Telecom Wholesale and International, is optimistic about its partnership with WxC and working towards the goal of pushing fibre into homes at affordable prices. “We chose WxC because it had the right fit and had the most advanced capabilities,” he said.Telecom is testing broadband over fibre, which provides a voice only service or broadband including voice. “Every home signed up to our plan gets 30 megabytes download speed. It doesn’t matter how far away they are from the exchange,” said Phillip Moore, WxC’s Operations Manager.Cecil Alexander, CEO of WxC, is positive about Kensington Park’s example of how fibre can improve today’s fast-paced lifestyle without being any more expensive than copper and without compromising quality. Although other services like IPTV and video calling will be part of the package, he says he believes “voice is still the killer application”.