Vodafone rolls out 5G services to Whanganui
Vodafone has announced the availability of 5G services to 40% of those living, working, and playing Manawatū-Whanganui, adding more 5G coverage and almost triple the mobile capacity in the region.
5G now covers 'parts' of the region including Palmerston North and Whanganui. Vodafone has also upgraded 24 of its cell sites to offer 4G, 4.5G, and 5G coverage, and is in the process of building 15 new cell sites as well as 33 Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI2) sites.
While there are areas that 5G does not yet cover, Vodafone says that more than 60% of the geographic area can connect to an IoT network.
According to Vodafone NZ Mobile Access Network head Thaigan Govender, the company has improved its coverage footprint in the region over the last few months.
"Whanganui is an awesome regional centre and we're pleased to now offer customers in the coverage area the ability to connect to the latest mobile network, adding to Vodafone 5G coverage which has been live in Palmerston North since May.
"Connectivity has proven to be incredibly important over the past year with data use increasing 56% on the Vodafone network, so we've been investing in our digital infrastructure to respond. Having access to the latest technology is great for consumers and even better for businesses.
eHaus is a Whanganui home design and construction company that leverages 5G. Director Jon Iliffe comments, "We have specialised building teams and designers from Northland to Invercargill. 5G technology will enable us faster and more professional options to communicate to our teams and clients alike. The anticipated low latency will also allow us to send and receive large documentation almost instantly.
Govender adds that there will soon be 116 cell sites across the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region.
"Locals and visitors to the area can now enjoy the power of 5G and get even faster connectivity to their smartphones or via 5G Broadband for high-capacity internet. Wireless broadband is already proving popular in the region, and we expect it will be keenly adopted by more locals and businesses looking for fast and fuss-free internet delivered over Vodafone's mobile network, without waiting for fibre fixed line services to be installed or connected.
Vodafone's 5G services currently cover parts of Auckland, Whitianga, Tauranga, Te Puke, Whakatane, Rotorua, Taumarunui, Whanganui, Feilding, Palmerston North, Foxton, Levin, Ōtaki, Wellington, Westport, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Invercargill. Vodafone customers with a 5G-enabled smartphone can automatically access its 5G network for no extra charge.
