Chorus fibre connections grow, data demand remains strong

Chorus reported total fibre connections of 1,122,000 at the end of September 2025, an increase of approximately 7,000 lines for the quarter. This growth outpaced the decline of about 4,000 copper lines in Chorus’ fibre areas. Fibre uptake in UFB2 rollout areas reached 63%, while across the wider fibre network, it lifted to 72.2%. The company passed an additional 9,000 addresses with fibre during the quarter, including 5,000 covered by a network extension project, with 2,300 of these already connected.

Data demand remained strong, with average monthly fibre usage peaking at 686 gigabytes (GB) in August and averaging 668GB in September. This represents a 10% year-on-year increase for September. Network traffic also saw a boost from live sport streaming, with All Blacks games in August resulting in 20% higher traffic.

Total fixed-line connections decreased by 7,000 lines for the quarter. Approximately 14,000 copper lines disconnected, leaving about 78,000 in service nationwide. Copper services in Chorus’ fibre areas, numbering 9,000, are on track for retirement by mid-2026, with a broader network retirement planned by 2030.