Telecom Rapidly Expands 4G Network across East Tamaki
4 June 2014
Telecom Rapidly Expands 4G Network across East Tamaki
Telecom ultra-fast 4G means customers can do more and do it faster on their mobiles
Telecom is now delivering faster mobile connectivity to East Tamaki residents and businesses, by switching its 4G network on in the area today. The 4G network will strengthen the high-quality mobile experience customers already receive through Telecom’s national WiFi and 3G networks.
Telecom Retail CEO Chris Quin says “As more people begin to use smart devices for things like watching video, downloading books, uploading photos and getting the most out of their music on Spotify, data speeds are going to become more and more important. 4G will allow you to do all these things in seconds, and we think these faster speeds will quickly become the “new normal” for New Zealanders, just as 3G speeds did when they were introduced a few years ago.”
“If you’re a Telecom customer living in East Tamaki and you have a 4G-capable phone, you’re likely to see increased speed when you’re in our new 4G area. We want to give New Zealanders access to the technology they need to get on and do more, and our 4G rollout is a crucial part of this.”
Mr Quin says that so far Telecom customers who regular use the 4G network generally did not dramatically increase their data consumption. However, anyone concerned about going over their data allowance could track their usage over the MyTelecom portal or Telecom’s smartphone app, or set up a data cap to kick in when their allowance runs out. They could also use the smartphone app to top up their account or save their precious data by using Telecom’s WiFi network.
Telecom has upgraded 11 sites stretching from Highbrook to Dannemora, Flat Bush to Shamrock Park, Te Irirangi Drive and out to parts of Whitford Road with 4G capability.
To find out more customers can visit the Telecom store at Botany Town Centre. Telecom currently offer a wide range of 4G-capable devices including the recently launched Samsung GALAXY S5.
Telecom continues to rapidly extend its 4G network and will soon provide 4G coverage to Pakuranga, Howick and Manukau.
To access Telecom 4G, customers need to be in a 4G coverage area and have a 4G-capable phone. 4G devices will seamlessly switch to Telecom’s 3G mobile network when customers leave the 4G coverage area.
A map of Telecom 4G coverage can be found here: www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/4G
Telecom 4G coverage will initially use the 1800MHz spectrum, until the 700MHz spectrum becomes available later this year. To date, the economics of bringing fast mobile services to areas outside of the New Zealand main centres have been challenging, but the reallocation of the 700MHz spectrum will speed up the roll-out of these essential services significantly. The 700MHz spectrum delivers greater reach compared to other frequencies, making it more efficient to build and ideally suited for delivering 4G services in regional areas.
Telecom has more than 1,000WiFi hotspots nationwide giving Telecom customers 1GB of data per day.
ENDS