Chorus Fibre laid but Chorus denies we will ever get Fibre?

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spacedog

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#267847 14-Feb-2020 09:05

OK this is a bit of a head scratcher so I'm kind of hoping someone from Chorus is on these forums and might be able to help out?

We have our business at rural location on Waiheke (just past Wakanewha Regional park on Gordon's Road)

Last September Chorus dropped a letter in our mailbox saying that Fibre was being installed in our area, that it would take a few months and then they would let us know when it can be ordered from our ISP.

We then watched everything get trenched and all the fibre get laid. They have installed plinths that say 'Fib Loc' on them immediately next to our property on the roadside and there is even an access panel right off the road adjacent to our property line and where one of our buildings is located. This got finished back December and then we haven't seen anything else happen and we haven't gotten any notification or updates.

I contacted both my ISP and they have come back and said there is no fibre in our area and there is no plan whatsoever to ever extend fibre to our location.

I contacted Chorus yesterday via their site and they emailed me a map showing fibre only for Omiha and said there is no plan to lay and extend fibre to our location.

This all seems a bit crazy that Chorus would lay physical fibre and then never turn it on.

I'm sure it's just still in progress somewhere between us and Rocky Bay / Omiha where the fibre is most likely to terminate back into the main network on the island.

I'm just trying to get a sense of how much longer it will be. We are limping along on an 5mbps ADSL connection that is on a failing copper run back to Omiha and the pairs get wet and corroded and fail every 4-6 months causing our connection to start losing sync several times a day and dropping back to 3mbps. I have to go through a fight with our ISP and Chorus to get them to realize there is a problem and send out a tech and everytime the tech comes out they confirm that it's a faulty pair and switch us to another pair, but I know for a fact they are almost out of pairs as I have talked with the Chorus techs when they have come out.

Can anyone shed any light on this for me?

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#2420688 14-Feb-2020 09:16

Hi, not sure where the under sea cable arrives, but is it possible that fibre that was dug in on Gordons rd is just an upgrade to the link back via Maraetai, ie its backhaul not UFB, the Chorus UFB maps dont show any UFB outside of Omiha village itself

Cyril

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#2420755 14-Feb-2020 09:54

@ChorusNZ

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#2420757 14-Feb-2020 09:56

cyril7:
Hi, not sure where the under sea cable arrives, but is it possible that fibre that was dug in on Gordons rd is just an upgrade to the link back via Maraetai, ie its backhaul not UFB, the Chorus UFB maps dont show any UFB outside of Omiha village itself

Cyril

@cyril7 Does not explain the letter drop but I am sure you are correct

spacedog

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#2420995 14-Feb-2020 13:59

Hi @cyril7 @chorusnz @linux,

Again the letter drop was clear. Also the trenching they ran is pretty much parallel to the old copper line that connects back to the Omiha exchange. Also they ran it along the roadside and then there are access panels in the ground, but then secondary plinths peel off the main conduit and are trenched up to the fence line. If this was strictly backhaul, there were would be no reason to trench out separate plinths, right?

Again, the letter was explicit that fibre was being rolled out in our area. Here's you can see the plinths....

Fibre Access at Gordons Road

Fibre Plinths

I really get the feeling that one part of Chorus is perhaps not communicating with the other parts?

wratterus

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#2420998 14-Feb-2020 14:09

Looks more like backhaul to me, and maybe a balls up with the letterbox drop?

What do you see when you look here and compare the Fibre rollout map with the Rural Fibre? Are you inside either area?

spacedog

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#2421007 14-Feb-2020 14:20

The maps show nothing for my area, but all of us in this area got letter drops.

I even asked people when they were installing the fibre and they all seemed to think it was UFB rollout

Also, why the peeled off plinths if it is backhaul?

cyril7

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#2421026 14-Feb-2020 14:42

Hi, yeah agree, its most likely backhaul, further, the UFB is only deployed in areas of a certain housing density, that level is surprisingly high, ie I know of lifestyle sub divisions of even quite modest density that dont qualify, so I can be pretty certain the very rural Gordon road is waaaaayyyy below the threshold.

By the way the location I linked above is now nearing 100% house build, but you can see by looking at the section sizes that it is quite a reasonable density, but Chorus have said it falls below the density CFH specify, as I recall they wanted about $150k to put UFB in and that is with most of the subdivision being already ducted for copper, so not so much digging required.

Cheers

Cyril

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chevrolux

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#2421027 14-Feb-2020 14:48

The fact they put a locate wire in tells me that's backhaul fibre.

Ponying up for a rural UFB or "NGA on Application" install will be your only option.

spacedog

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#2421036 14-Feb-2020 14:56

If this is truly just backhaul, this is an utter gutpunch after 15 years of lousy ADSL that is literally falling apart.

They told me that we were getting fibre and now there is actual fibre less than 30 feet from our building...

If it is backhaul is there any way to tap into it to get service? Or do they have to install a ton more hardware just to get us connected?

cyril7

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#2421054 14-Feb-2020 15:01

Hi, as others have said, check out NGA service, and be prepared to sell off your off spring to fund it. Also as mentioned those grey pedestals are where a copper trace wire ends for the two fibre ends that terminate in the pit, if its UFB they dont go to that effort.

Cyril

chevrolux

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#2421055 14-Feb-2020 15:05

On the other hand, you are in one of the nicest places in the country - an island, 20-30-odd KM's away from the mainland. So perhaps just feel lucky you get internet at all?

@Chorusnz will have the correct term, but i think they just call it "rural fibre". You essentially get P2P fibre installed directly to your site - at an extreme cost, and not cheap monthly ongoings.

Probably just wait for proper 5G to get deployed?... if the local Luddites allow it to happen.

spacedog

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#2421056 14-Feb-2020 15:05

😭

spacedog

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#2421058 14-Feb-2020 15:09

chevrolux:

On the other hand, you are in one of the nicest places in the country - an island, 20-30-odd KM's away from the mainland. So perhaps just feel lucky you get internet at all?

@Chorusnz will have the correct term, but i think they just call it "rural fibre". You essentially get P2P fibre installed directly to your site - at an extreme cost, and not cheap monthly ongoings.

Probably just wait for proper 5G to get deployed?... if the local Luddites allow it to happen.

Try running a business with lousy and unstable internet...it's not fun

Also we are in a valley...can't even get rural broadband. I use one of the wireless ISPs on the island and while they do a great job we are always fighting issues with packet loss, growing trees and line-of-sight problems. Had to build a self powered solar repeater at the top of the hill to bounce down a signal and it worked great for the first year...but trees, competing RF interference from Maraetai, etc. etc. etc... is just a headache. So we have to rely on that lousy ADSL connection far too much because the business literally grinds to a halt without internet. I just want a reliable fixed line connection and to have it promised to me and a few feet from my door but then not be able to get it is emotionally devastating....

Chorusnz

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Chorus

#2421083 14-Feb-2020 15:35

Hey @spacedog, I've tracked down your emails with our general inquiries team.

I haven't been able to find what this work relates to immediately and will need some additional time to investigate.

I'll get back to you with more information about what's happening down your road and if this changes what services are available to you. ^Matt

spacedog

482 posts

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#2421095 14-Feb-2020 15:49

@ChorusNZ ah..thanks for chiming in! It would be good to at least get a rock solid answer since I am getting conflicting information between the letter drop and everything else that I'm hearing!

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