We’re committed to helping support people who have lost connections through Cyclone Gabrielle. We’ve assessed the impact to customers and will provide financial support for customers who lost their connection due to loss of power and network damage caused by the storm. This support will take two forms; a Cyclone Gabrielle Network Outage fund and a Reconnection offer. For full details and terms please see below.    

Cyclone Gabrielle Network Outage fund  

(Please note: this fund was updated/simplified 15/03 based on RSP feedback click here for details) 

Our Network Outage fund is available to help RSPs provide relief to people who experienced service outages through Cyclone Gabrielle. At the peak of this event, we saw disruption to approximately 50,000 end users across the Chorus network due to widespread loss of power and network damage on an unprecedented scale.

RSPs can access our Network Outage fund by lodging an application form (see resources below) by 31 March 2023 acknowledging that they have, or plan to, provide financial support to customers experiencing service outage as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The Network Outage fund will be allocated to RSPs who make a claim based on Chorus outage data for the areas impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle between 13 February 2023 and the date our network is fully restored (expected to be before 31 March 2023), and RSP information on number of customer connections supported (because we are going to top up for customers affected by non-Chorus network outages such as power outages).  

The amount of the rebate from the fund depends on the connection as follows:  

• For Baseband, ADSL, VDSL and Bitstream 2 services (Business and Residential): A nominal $55 per connection per month (regardless of specific plan).   
• For Bitstream 3/3a services: A nominal $200 per connection per month (regardless of specific plan).   
• For HSNS Fibre and NGA Business Premium services: A nominal $500 per connection per month (regardless of specific plan).  
• For DFAS services: A nominal $380 per connection per month.  

All these rebates will be pro-rated for the number of days of the outage for the relevant connection.  

RSPs will receive their allocation via a one-off account credit in April 2023, to the bank account nominated on their application form.  

Please note: RSPs are NOT required to provide a list of affected customers (but we do need the number of affected customers supported to validate against our information and provide top-up support for outages caused by non-Chorus network disruption).  

How to access the Network Outage fund  

The process to access this fund was updated/simplified 15/03 based on RSP feedback click here for details. 

For any queries, please contact Hamish Buchanan.

Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer    

We recognise that many of your customers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle have had to temporarily vacate their properties while damages are being repaired, and this is fuelling demand for the temporary disconnection of services.  

The Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer provides you with the flexibility of easily switching your Chorus services off and then back on again, so that you can support the needs of your customers and provide them with certainty that service can be easily reinstated, without driving any additional cost.  

Here are the full details of your Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer, which applies in affected areas as further detailed below. 

Offer Summary

The Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer applies to premises disrupted by Cyclone Gabrielle in the following regions: Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke's Bay and the Tararua District in the Manawatū region. The offer is valid between 13 February 2023 and 13 April 2023.

The Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer provides you with the following financial benefits:

1. For ADSL & VDSL services: the $8.53 remote connection fee is waived for reconnections submitted during the offer period.
2. For NGA Business (Bitstream 3/3a), NGA Evolve (Bitstream 2 SME), Small Business Fibre, Small Business Hyperfibre, Business Hyperfibre services: The $25.93 intact connection fee is waived for reconnections submitted during the offer period.
3. For HSNS, NGA Business Premium, DFAS services: We will pause billing for affected services upon request, for the duration of the offer.

Note: Intact connection fees do not apply to Home Fibre orders, which is why it is not part of the offer (as nothing changes).

Here are the full details of your Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection offer.

Suspending re-connection fees

For customers on ADSL and VDSL, here’s the information you need:

• To switch the service off, please submit a “Broadband Disconnection” order through Wireline as normal.
• When the time comes to reconnect, please submit a “Broadband New Connection Only” order through Wireline as normal.
• We will waive the remote connection fee of $8.53 (valid for reconnections submitted between 13 February 2023 and 13 April 2023). 
• All our billing is pro-rated, so you only pay for the period the service has been connected.
• Both the disconnection and reconnection are fully automated by Chorus, which means we can have everything back up and running remotely at the soonest (typically within 4 hours).
• The $8.53 intact connection charge will still appear on your first invoice once the service is reconnected. You will subsequently receive a credit for $8.53 on the following month’s bill.

For customers on NGA Business (Bitstream 3/3a), NGA Evolve (Bitstream 2 SME), Small Business Fibre, Small Business Hyperfibre, Business Hyperfibre, here’s the information you need:

• To switch the service off, please submit a “Disconnect Primary” order through the Chorus Portal as normal.
• When the time comes to reconnect, please submit a “Connect Primary” intact order (with no CSE) through the Chorus Portal as normal.
• We will waive the intact connection fee of $25.93 (valid for reconnections submitted between 13 February 2023 and 13 April 2023).
• All our billing is pro-rated, so you only pay for the period the service has been connected.
• Both the disconnection and reconnection are fully automated by Chorus, which means we can have everything back up and running remotely at the soonest (typically within 4 hours).
• The $25.93 intact connection charge will still appear on your first invoice once the service is reconnected. You will subsequently receive a credit for $25.93 on the follow month’s bill.
   

For customers on HSNS, NGA Business Premium, and DFAS, here’s the information you need:

• To request temporary disconnection, please open and fill out this short email template in Outlook and email it through to us at tempdisconnect@chorus.co.nz (please log in to access) 
• Once we process your request, the service will be suspended, and the recurring monthly charges will be ceased based on the following criteria:
• For requests received by COB on 1 March 2023, we will cease recurring charges from the beginning of Cyclone Gabrielle (13 February 2023).
• For requests received after COB on 1 March 2023, we will cease recurring charges from the day we have received the temporary disconnection request.
• You will receive an e-mail reply from us to confirm that your request has been processed.
• All existing network configuration and physical setup will remain intact, to facilitate an easy reconnection when your customer is ready to take services again.
• We will only be able to action requests where the e-mail template has been completed with all the required information. If there are any errors or missing information, we will send you an e-mail reply asking for clarification.
• HSNS, NGA Business Premium or DFAS services disconnected under this temporary process will be reinstated automatically, and billing resumed on 13 April 2023, with no order or email request required.

Offer availability

The Cyclone Gabrielle Reconnection Offer applies to premises disrupted by Cyclone Gabrielle in the following regions: Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawke's Bay and the Tararua District in the Manawatū region. Our Networks team will determine if specific addresses are eligible for the offer.

Offer expiry

This offer is valid between 13 February 2023 and 13 April 2023.

Questions?   

For any queries regarding our Reconnection offer, please contact Alexandru Tudor