Huawei scores 2nd NZ deal for ultrafast broadband

Chinese telecommunications maker Huawei has scored a second major contract in the New Zealand government's scheme to bring ultrafast broadband to most of the country.

Enable Networks, owned by the council in New Zealand's second-largest city of Christchurch, said yesterday that Huawei New Zealand would supply the fiber equipment for the city's UFB network and manage operations and maintenance.

The "multimillion-dollar contract" covered the provision of all network equipment, including fiber ducting, fiber optic cables and open access layer two, or "bitstream," network solutions.

Huawei would also provide the service expertise for the 3,500-kilometer UFB network across Christchurch and neighboring Waimakariri and Selwyn districts, said a statement from the two companies.

"Since we won the UFB contract last year, we've been busy locking in supplier relationships required to deliver on this enormous project. This key relationship is one of the most important," Enable Services' General Manager Network John Humm said in the statement.

"The network equipment provided by Huawei is going to deliver services to our homes, schools and businesses for the next 50 years and more."

Humm said Huawei won the contract thanks to its track record in delivering fiber infrastructure, reputation for quality products, commitment to New Zealand, professionalism and delivery timeframes.

Huawei New Zealand CEO Arthur Zhang said Huawei would play a significant role in New Zealand's second largest UFB coverage area.

"We are very committed to developing our business in New Zealand and playing a significant role in this very important fibre infrastructure project," Zhang said in the statement.

Huawei won a similar contract late last year to build the UFB network in the Hamilton-Central North Island region.