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Fibre optic port - Source: ONE News / CNN
Ericsson is to build a fibre ducting manufacturing facility in Wellington, creating about 30 jobs.
The telecommunications company is investing about $15 million in the new facility in Porirua, which will be built and in production later this year.
The plant will produce optical fibre ducting for Chorus as part of the Government's Ultra-Fast Broadband Initiative (UFB), and potentially also for export to the Asia-Pacific region.
"It is positive to see a leading company like Ericsson choose to increase its presence in New Zealand, as we roll out a massive fibre deployment programme," Communications and Information Technology Minister Amy Adams said today.
The facility is only the second Ericsson has built and the first outside of Sweden.
It will include facilities for specialised training, and research and development.
About 25,000 kilometres of fibre will be required across the 33 cities and towns covered by the UFB rollout.