New Zealand Government gets it

The NZ government has taken a major step forward in building a structurally separate FTTh network

http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____41902.aspx

The government's overall objective for the ultra-fast broadband investment initiative is to accelerate the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband to 75 percent of New Zealanders over ten years, concentrating in the first six years on priority broadband users such as businesses, schools and health services, plus green-field developments and certain tranches of residential areas.

This government's objective will be supported by government investment of up to $1.5 billion, which is expected to be at least matched by an equal amount of private sector investment, and will be directed to open-access infrastructure.

On 16 September 2009, Communications and Information Technology Minister Hon Steven Joyce announced the final design of the government's broadband investment initiative [link to Beehive website].
Key highlights

Key highlights of the government’ proposal include:

* An open, competitive partner selection process.
* Government investment will be directed to an open access, passive fibre network infrastructure.
* A new Crown-owned investment company ('Crown Fibre Holdings') will be operational by October, which will carry out the government’s partner selection process and manage the government’s investment in fibre networks.
* Crown Fibre Holdings will establish with private sector partners a 'Local Fibre Company' (LFC) in each region, to deploy fibre network infrastructure and provide access to dark fibre products and, optionally, certain active wholesale Layer 2 services.
* The Government is open to national proposals and proposals aggregating any combination of LFC regions.
* Expansion from 25 to 33 candidate coverage areas based on the largest urban areas (by population in 2021).
* LFCs will be required from day one to be open networks facilitating access to their infrastructure on an equivalent basis to all users.
* LFCs cannot be controlled by any party who also operates as a telecommunications retailer.