New Zealand wholesale fixed line operator Chorus has outlined plans to become an all-fiber company in the next 10 years.

As part of these plans, the company stated it will retire its copper network within the decade.

Chorus made the announcement during a rural connectivity conference in Christchurch, as reported by Comms Update.

"As superior alternative technologies emerge, we see that copper will not be sustainable or suitable to meet New Zealanders’ growing connectivity needs," said Chorus CEO JB Rousselot.

"We believe providing this clarity now will ensure that further investment in this critical part of New Zealand’s connectivity will focus on the right solutions for our rural communities."

At present, 13 percent of homes and businesses in New Zealand have no access to the country's fiber-optic Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) network, with most of these thought to still rely on copper-based connectivity.

During the event, Rousselot estimated around NZ$500 million ($312m) worth of investment could extend its fiber network to an additional 75,000 premises, which would provide access to fiber services for more than 90 percent of the country.

Carriers across the world have been outlining plans to move away from aging copper networks to faster and more efficient fiber cables.

Earlier this year, Spain's Telefónica said it's on course to switch off its copper network next year, while Telenor Norge confirmed the total switch-off of its copper network in January.