Chorus
Chorus is New Zealand's largest open-access fibre broadband infrastructure operator, providing wholesale network access to over 140 ISPs serving 1.129 million residential, business, and low-income connections across the country.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Chorus does
Chorus is New Zealand's largest open-access telecommunications infrastructure company, building and operating the country's largest fibre broadband network. The company was founded in 2011, is headquartered in Wellington, is publicly listed on the NZX under ticker CNU, and employs between 501 and 1,000 people. Fibre is currently available to 87% of New Zealand's population, and the network serves 1.129 million connections across approximately 600 local exchanges, with capacity to reach 1.3 million homes and businesses. The underlying technology is fibre optic cable carrying data as pulses of light, terminated at customer premises via Optical Network Terminals (ONT Types 100-500, Hyperfibre 110/210, and SFP/SPO variants); the network is architected to be congestion-free with consistent speeds irrespective of distance from the exchange.
Chorus operates a wholesale-only business model and does not sell retail broadband directly to consumers. Instead, it provides open-access network services to over 140 internet service providers — including major telcos Spark, One NZ, and 2degrees — which then retail broadband plans to end users. The product portfolio spans residential fibre (100/500/920 Mbps and Hyperfibre 2-8 Gbps tiers), the Equity Fibre $30/month affordability programme for low-income households, business/enterprise tiers (Small Business Fibre, Business Fibre Premium, High Priority Access), data centre connectivity, IoT solutions, and ancillary services such as PowerSense grid-monitoring. Customer segments are residential homeowners, business/enterprise customers, property developers, and eligible low-income households.
The company is mid-transition from a legacy copper network to an all-fibre model. As of H1 FY2026, only 3,000 copper lines remain in UFB areas; all copper in fibre areas is scheduled for retirement by end-2026 and nationwide by 2028. H1 FY2026 revenue was NZD 506M, EBITDA NZD 357M (+3% YoY), and net profit NZD 15M (a turnaround from a NZD 5M loss in H1 FY2025). Full-year FY2026 EBITDA is guided to NZD 710-730M, with a record NZD 0.60/share dividend. In November 2025, Chorus issued a EUR 400M 7-year EMTN (3.529% coupon, swapped to NZD 821.7M) to refinance 2026 debt maturities and support ongoing fibre expansion. Management is targeting 80% fibre-uptake by 2030.
Chorus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chorus
- Legal name
- Chorus New Zealand Limited
- Website
- https://chorus.co.nz
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Chorus is New Zealand's largest open-access fibre broadband infrastructure operator, providing wholesale network access to over 140 ISPs serving 1.129 million residential, business, and low-income connections across the country.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chorus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fibre Broadband Infrastructure
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale Fixed Access & Bitstream Providers (HDAIABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
Keywords
Where Chorus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chorus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Fibre Network Access: Chorus provides wholesale access to its fibre network infrastructure. Retail service providers (ISPs) pay for network access and then sell broadband plans to end consumers. As a wholesaler, Chorus does not sell retail telecommunications services directly to consumers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 100 Mbps fibre plan suitable for basic household use with email, browsing, and single-screen streaming |
| Subscription | Monthly | 500 Mbps mid-range plan for households with multiple devices and simultaneous activities |
| Subscription | Monthly | 920 Mbps high-speed plan for busy households with multiple high-demand users |
| Subscription | Monthly | Hyperfibre 2-8 Gbps premium plan for highest performance requirements |
| Subscription | Monthly | Equity Fibre 100 - affordable fibre for eligible households |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
Chorus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chorus operates New Zealand's largest open-access fibre broadband network, providing wholesale network infrastructure access to over 140 internet service providers (ISPs) across New Zealand. The company does not sell retail broadband directly to consumers; instead, ISPs purchase wholesale access and resell broadband plans to end customers. Chorus also offers enterprise connectivity solutions, data centre interconnect, IoT connectivity, and the PowerSense ancillary service for electricity grid monitoring.
Product overview
Chorus is New Zealand's open access internet infrastructure company, operating as a wholesale network wholesaler rather than a retail ISP. The company provides fibre optic broadband infrastructure to over 140 internet service providers who then sell plans to end customers. The product portfolio centers on fibre broadband connectivity with multiple speed tiers (100 Mbps to 8 Gbps Hyperfibre), residential and business service options, and enterprise connectivity solutions. Key products include standard Fibre Broadband and Hyperfibre for residential customers, Equity Fibre for affordable access, the Chorus Fibre Box (ONT) customer premises equipment, and Business Fibre variants ranging from Small Business to Premium enterprise tiers. The company also offers Data Centre Connectivity and IoT solutions for enterprise customers, plus the PowerSense ancillary service for electricity grid management. Chorus operates approximately 600 local exchanges serving 1.3 million homes and businesses, with a network transitioning from legacy copper to modern fibre infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fibre Broadband (Residential)
Quantifiable outcome
- Fibre connections grew 3% year-over-year to 1.129 million with 31,000 new connections added in H1 FY2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Chorus
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chorus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Chorus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SparkcoreMajor retail service provider purchasing wholesale access to Chorus fibre network to serve end consumers. Spark offers residential and business broadband plans utilizing Chorus infrastructure and was affected by the June 2026 Auckland fibre outage incident.
- One NZcoreMajor mobile carrier operating as retail service provider on Chorus fibre network. One NZ was part of the Flint Global commissioned report advocating for technology-neutral rural broadband funding approach.
- 2degreescoreMajor mobile carrier operating as retail service provider on Chorus fibre network. 2degrees benefited from mobile termination regulation that created competitive market enabling their entry and growth since 2010.
- FortysouthminorMobile carrier mentioned as part of the Flint Global report commissioned by New Zealand mobile carriers arguing for wireless/satellite alternatives to fibre in rural broadband.
- ConnexaminorMobile carrier mentioned as part of the Flint Global report arguing for technology-neutral rural broadband funding approach over Chorus's fibre-first policy.
- Ash NetcoreNZ-owned internet provider offering Equity Fibre plans through Chorus wholesale network. Provides affordable fibre broadband and local support for families.
- Fusion (EDOS)coreInternet provider offering Equity Fibre plans through Chorus wholesale network. Has supported communities for 15 years with affordable connectivity.
- InTune Technologies Ltd (LocalTech)minorWellington-based internet provider offering Equity Fibre plans through Chorus wholesale network with local expert support.
- Whānau Link (Prodigi)minorSouthland-based provider offering Equity Fibre plans through Chorus wholesale network with affordable broadband for local communities.
- Vetta (Local Linkup)minorNationwide provider offering Local Linkup Equity Fibre plans through Chorus wholesale network for affordable internet.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chorus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Zayo Group: Zayo operates a large wholesale fibre infrastructure platform across North America and Europe offering dark fibre, wavelengths, and managed services. It is a broader incumbent analogue to Chorus's wholesale fibre model with a wider enterprise and carrier customer mix.
- KPN: KPN is the Dutch incumbent telecom operator with extensive fibre-to-the-home assets across the Netherlands. As a regulated European fibre incumbent, it is broadly comparable to Chorus's wholesale fibre infrastructure role within NZ.
- Swisscom: Swisscom is Switzerland's incumbent telecom operator with significant fibre network assets and wholesale operations. It mirrors Chorus's combination of regulated fibre infrastructure, channel partner distribution, and premium broadband tiers (in Switzerland).
- Lumen Technologies: Lumen is a US-based global telecom and fibre infrastructure incumbent with substantial wholesale and enterprise fibre offerings. While much larger and more diversified, it competes in the same wholesale fibre connectivity category as Chorus.
Regional players
- Spark New Zealand: Spark is NZ's largest retail ISP and a major wholesale customer of Chorus, also operating its own mobile network. As a regional NZ telecom with significant overlap in broadband and adjacent mobile services, Spark is a key channel partner and partial competitor.
- TPG Telecom: TPG Telecom is an Australian integrated telco with fibre, mobile, and fixed-line operations. Comparable to Chorus as a regional fibre/wholesale player in Australasia, though with a retail-direct model rather than wholesale-only.
- Vector: Vector is a New Zealand infrastructure utility operating electricity and gas networks, with growing involvement in fibre and smart-grid services. It is a regional infrastructure peer to Chorus, particularly relevant for the PowerSense-adjacent utility-services overlap.
Direct peers
- CityFibre: CityFibre is a UK-based wholesale full-fibre network operator building FTTH infrastructure and selling wholesale access to ISPs. Like Chorus, it monetises via channel partners and competes in the open-access fibre wholesale segment.
- NBN Co: NBN Co is Australia's wholesale broadband infrastructure provider, operating a government-backed national fibre, copper, wireless, and satellite network sold on a wholesale basis to retail ISPs—directly comparable to Chorus's open-access FTTH model in NZ.
- Openreach: Openreach is BT's wholesale fibre and copper network division in the UK, operating as a near-perfect structural analog to Chorus: a regulated, wholesale-only access network provider selling to multiple downstream ISPs on a national scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chorus social profiles
Digital presenceChorus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chorus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Chorus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chorus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chorus
What does Chorus do?
Chorus operates New Zealand's largest open-access fibre broadband network, providing wholesale network infrastructure access to over 140 internet service providers (ISPs) across New Zealand. The company does not sell retail broadband directly to consumers; instead, ISPs purchase wholesale access and resell broadband plans to end customers. Chorus also offers enterprise connectivity solutions, data centre interconnect, IoT connectivity, and the PowerSense ancillary service for electricity grid monitoring.
Is Chorus a public or private company?
Chorus is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Chorus founded?
Chorus was founded in 2011. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Chorus based?
Chorus is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Chorus make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Fibre Network Access.
Who are Chorus's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Zayo Group, KPN, Swisscom and Lumen Technologies. Regional players are Spark New Zealand, TPG Telecom and Vector. Direct peers are CityFibre, NBN Co and Openreach.
Does Chorus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chorus.
What industry is Chorus in?
Chorus's product category is Fibre Broadband Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAF, Wholesale Fixed Access & Bitstream Providers, with a secondary code of HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers). Its SIC code is 4813.