MEDIA RELEASE - Vodafone is pleased to announce new peak speed commitments for 4G rural wireless broadband services delivered under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI).

In an agreement signed with MBIE, Vodafone has increased its 4G wireless broadband peak speed commitment from 5Mbps to 30Mbps download. Its 4G peak upload speed commitment has increased from 500Kbps to 5Mbps.

Peak speed commitments for 3G wireless broadband services will remain at 5Mbps download and 500Kbps upload.

Vodafone’s Technology Director Tony Baird said, “We are pleased to see that the significant advancements in fixed wireless broadband technology will be reflected in our RBI contract agreement with MBIE.

“Since 2011, the RBI has taken high speed wireless broadband to hundreds of thousands of rural addresses, with the majority of those now able to access a 4G service.

“The programme continues to transform our rural communities by giving them the means to communicate and connect freely, in the same manner as their urban counterparts.

“Although Vodafone’s 4G RBI peak speed commitment now sits at 30Mbps, some customers today are achieving 4G download speeds of around 75Mbps.

“Global research and development in the fixed wireless space is rapid and ongoing, and Vodafone has the vision - and the technology roadmap - to take rural services further and faster still,” Tony Baird said.