The first stage of a planned high-speed municipal fibre-optic broadband network will be launched in Dunedin before Christmas, Aurora Energy Ltd says.
The Dunedin City Council-controlled organisation is developing plans for a multimillion-dollar fibre-optic network linking the city's key businesses, council buildings, education facilities and Dunedin Hospital.
Aurora chief executive John Walsh said this week a small "trial" fibre-optic network was expected to be operational by the end of the year, servicing a small number of business customers in Dunedin.
He would not reveal details, citing commercial sensitivity, but said the network aimed to gauge wider interest in the fibre-optic scheme.
"It's permanent, but it's small," he said.
"It demonstrates we are serious. We are not clowning around, but we are conscious the market response by competitors may just be to drop their prices."
The idea for a trial network had been developed before the Government's $340 million broadband investment fund was announced, Mr Walsh said.
Plans for a wider network reaching other parts of the central city - and ultimately bringing fibre-optic lines to homes - was still dependent on Government funding at this stage, he said. Aurora has applied for $3 million of the investment fund.
Mr Walsh insisted plans for higher-speed broadband in Dunedin unveiled recently by rivals Telecom and TelstraClear did not undercut Aurora's plans to bring fibre-optic lines to the home.
Exact details of the trial would be revealed when the fibre-optic network was activated, he said.
