Vector Fibre Optic Cable, which is the Contenders for the Government’s Rural Broadband has strung among power lines in Auckland's Forrest Hill as part of the North Shore Education and Access Loop. The Fibre is barely discernable among the existing tangle.

Lines Vector has corroborates its formal expression of interest in the Government’s $300 million plan to take Fibre to the country. Expression of Interest (EOI) phase clogged yesterday. The Government will now issue a request for application for its four-year rural broadband initiative.

In October or November, The first round of funding is due to be allocated to the winning bidders. Vector said in its statement today that it could utilize its obtainable power line network to provide fast and efficient Fibre consumption to 42,000 rural households and 17,500 rural businesses in Rodney to the north of Auckland, and areas to the west and south east of the city.

It has been later confirmed by the spokeswoman of the Vector that fast and efficient Fibre deployment meant wrapping cable over existing overhead power lines or maximizing their existing overhead network in those areas. This is very much cheaper and some say uglier approach than laying cable in the ground.

Per km cost of rolling out Fibre has not been disclosed yet by the Vector Chief Executive Simon Mackenzie. But he has previously told NBR that stringing it overhead reduces costs by 60% to 75%.