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The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF) is pleased that installations and infrastructure builds will be able to recommence when the country moves into Covid-19 Alert Level 3 from 11:59pm on Monday 27 April.

 

“Fibre installations can resume for all consumers and businesses under Level 3 – except for a small number of high-risk situations. During Level 4 they were only permitted for essential services and premises with no internet access. The industry will be working through the backlog of orders which have been paused during Level 4 lockdown, so some patience from customers may be required,” says Geoff Thorn, TCF Chief Executive.

 

During fibre installations that require a technician to visit the premises, protocols developed in line with Ministry of Health Covid-19 Alert Level 3 regulations will be strictly adhered to. Upgrading copper network connections to VDSL or connecting to fixed wireless technology continues to be available, where applicable, and neither of these upgrades is likely to require a technician’s visit.

 

Under Alert Level 3 telecommunication customers will be able to make a wider range of online purchases from their retail service providers than they were at Level 4, such as devices and accessories, which will be delivered to their homes or businesses. In some cases, a non-contact ‘click and collect’ option will be available, and providers will continue to service urgent hardware repairs as they did during Level 4. Consumers and businesses can continue to adjust their plans to suit their circumstances by visiting their service provider’s website.

 

Thorn says that in addition to fibre installations, it is expected that several infrastructure builds will also recommence during Alert Level 3. These activities will mean that hundreds of technicians and civil construction workers across the industry will be able to resume full-time work next week.

 

“We are delighted to get back to building world-class telecommunications infrastructure for the benefit of all New Zealanders,” he says.