Vodafone first to begin 4G rollout with 700MHz
Media Technology

Vodafone first to begin 4G rollout with 700MHz

MEDIA RELEASE - It might only make up 1.1 per cent of New Zealand’s population, but Papakura has raced ahead to become the first district to receive superfast 4G mobile technology with 700MHz spectrum.

Vodafone was the first telecommunications company to roll out 4G in New Zealand, and the first to successfully trial rural 4G using 700MHz spectrum at Lake Brunner on the West Coast of the South Island last year.

Last week, Vodafone became the first to launch a commercial 4G service using 700MHz – freed up from the Government’s Digital Dividend auction – which delivers greater reach and better in-building coverage than other frequencies, making it ideal for deployment to rural areas like Papakura.

Vodafone’s Director of Technology, Sandra Pickering says kicking off the commercial 4G rollout to rural New Zealand is a major milestone.

“There’s no question that 4G – particularly in rural areas – will deliver economic benefit and have strong impacts for productivity.

“Our focus this year is about expanding our 4G network to rural New Zealand with 700MHz. We’ll be activating 4G wherever possible on new Rural Broadband Initiative sites this year.”

Sandra continues: “In addition to a progressive upgrade of our existing sites with 700MHz, we will also be building a number of new sites each year to further improve our coverage.”

Vodafone’s 4G network provides speeds up to 10 times faster than standard 3G services*, allowing customers to make better use of superfast mobile data for mobile farming applications.

Kiwis wanting to experience the speed of 4G delivered over 700MHz will need a 4G-capable device** with the latest software, a qualifying plan and be in a 4G coverage area. The device seamlessly switches to Vodafone’s next fastest 3G speeds when customers leave the 4G coverage area.

Latest News
18 October 2021
To coincide with Cyber Smart Week, run by CERT NZ, we wanted to share our Top 10 Tips for staying safe online.
15 October 2021
Navigating all Covid safety requirements, mobile network investments continue with 20 completed cell site upgrades/builds last month & IoT rolled out rurally
7 September 2021
After 10 years in service, the Sure Signal platform will be shutting down from 10 December 2021

Network Status

Mobile ›
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Low No Connection
Landline & Broadband ›
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Low No Connection

Internet Explorer Not Supported

Please note that we do not support Internet Explorer. For optimal browsing we recommend Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.