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State-owned ISP Orcon has made a major bid to entice consumers, schools and businesses onto the government’s Ultra Fast Broadband (UFB) network, offering free fibre internet for the rest of the year for those willing to sign up for long-term contracts.

For consumers, Orcon is offering a package of 30GB of high-speed (30MBps down, 10MBps up) data a month, as well as a landline connection with associated services like Voicemail and caller ID.

Consumers who jump on board will pay nothing for the rest of 2012, and $75 per month from January 2013, provided they sign up for at least 18 months.

Those who want more data or faster speed can pay to have these increased, and people who sign up for 24 months will receive free rental of an Orcon Genius modem.

Network builders Chorus have previously committed to performing installations for free on standard (ie. single-dwelling) properties for the remainder of this year, meaning consumers won’t have to pay for that either – a practice Orcon is pushing to have continued.

Scott Bartlett, CEO of Orcon, says the ‘big offer’ is designed to drive uptake of UFB services.

“We’re keen to drive the point home that UFB really is a game-changer,” Bartlett says.

“It is going to revolutionise the way kiwis lead their lives at home and at work, and we are passionately committed to ensuring kiwis can take it up as soon as it is available in their area.”

Schools and businesses which sign up for the company’s $129 per month base plan also won’t be charged until 2013.

Orcon expects to be able to provide UFB services to more than 140,000 premises across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and in other towns around the central North Island by the end of the year, and is providing an online service to allow people to look up when fibre is coming to their area.

“We appreciate fibre hasn’t been rolled out everywhere just yet,” Bartlett adds, “[but] for those who do have it in their area we want them to experience how exciting UFB is, tell their friends and get the fever for this fantastic new technology.”

Go here for more on the deal.