How fast can fibre broadband go?

When there are fibres running through city and town streets, upgrading to a faster broadband technology is a matter of swapping the equipment at each end of a line. (Image: Getty)

Bill Bennett for Chorus

Wed, 10 Aug 2022

In May, Chorus network strategy manager Kurt Rodgers showed a laptop downloading data from an internet server at 21.4 gigabits per second. It was the southern hemisphere’s first demonstration of a fibre broadband technology from Nokia known as 25G Pon (passive optical network). Only a handful of other fibre companies in the world have tested this technology. In fact, 25G Pon is so new and fast that Rodgers struggled to find equipment capable of benchmarking the demonstration. Conventional broadband measuring tools don’t de...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}

Technology

Kauricone courts computer users locked out of Windows 11

The back-to-basics operating system cuts out the bloat.

Greg Hurrell 5:00am

Law & Regulation

Mandatory nutrition labels likely as deadline looms

Health Star Ratings face deadline as calls grow to make system mandatory.

Cécile Meier 5:00am

Mandatory nutrition labels likely as deadline looms

Policy

Port of Auckland gets fast-track panel

The port says its $200m wharf upgrades will make it 'big ship capable'.

Oliver Lewis 5:00am

Sponsored

Ready for the C-Suite leap?

Part-time programme. Full-time leadership transformation.

University of Auckland Business School

Sponsored

Active beats passive in tough times

Agile investing responds faster to market shocks and shifts.

Milford

More Technology

Technology

Kauricone courts computer users locked out of Windows 11

The back-to-basics operating system cuts out the bloat.

Greg Hurrell 5:00am

Markets

Steven Joyce to chair NZME

Tech expert Bowen Pan will also join, later on.

Staff reporters 09 May 2025

Policy

NZ's space sector revenue grows over 50% in five years

Advanced aviation is also a growing sector, according to a new industry survey.

Greg Hurrell 09 May 2025

News in Brief

Rocket Lab expanding its US defence efforts

Space company Rocket Lab is expanding its United States defence efforts, setting up a new holding company to reduce national security risks.The company that developed and launched rockets in New Zealand and the United States, and spacecraft and space systems, made US$123 million...

Staff reporters 09 May 2025

How fast can fibre broadband go?

More Technology

Your company has a subscription

Team