Vodafone Says Kia Ora To Celebrate The Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble Opening

Network banner change coincides with 5G roaming now available to Vodafone NZ customers in 10 destinations

To welcome Aussie visitors and returning New Zealanders with the opening of the Trans-Tasman travel bubble, Vodafone NZ has changed its network banner to ‘VF Kia Ora’.

This coincides with the telco offering 5G roaming to a raft of new international destinations to reach a current tally of 10, in preparation (and hope) for a further expansion of international travel.

Tony Baird, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone NZ said: “We’re so pleased to welcome Aussie whānau and visitors to New Zealand after more than a year, and wanted to show our excitement by saying kia ora to them.

“We believe developing meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with Māori as tangata whenua is really important, which includes embracing te reo as one of the three official languages of Aotearoa. We hope Vodafone customers will also embrace this message on their phones as a wee token of welcome and support to all New Zealanders, after the year we’ve all had.

“At Vodafone, we have been preparing for this bubble by investing even more in international network capacity and resiliency to help travellers and business customers work free-range on the other side of the ditch, as well as expanding 4G and 5G network coverage in New Zealand.

“International travel is hopefully going to open up further soon, so we’re continuing to work on deals with overseas network providers. International 5G roaming is now available for $7 per day, per device, for travellers going to Australia, Ireland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Latvia, Luxembourg, Finland, China and Taiwan. While travel to most of these countries is still off the agenda, we want to ensure we’re prepared when it is a possibility.”

For travellers coming into New Zealand, the country’s largest 5G network is now open to people roaming from Australia, China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Taiwan.

Baird adds: “The lack of international travel has taken a toll on New Zealanders, and we’re excited for everyone who will be saying kia ora in person to friends and family across the Tasman in coming weeks and months. Closure of the borders also has a financial impact on many businesses around Aotearoa, including ours, so we’re excited about the potential for more tourism.”

This latest network banner change comes after Vodafone NZ displaying a number of different messages throughout Covid-19 including ‘VF Stay Safe’ (during levels 3 and 4), ‘VF Stay Kind’ (when emerging from level 3 lockdown in May) and ‘VF Aotearoa’ (to follow on from Te Wiki o te Reo Māori).

For more information about Vodafone 5G, please visit www.vodafone.co.nz/5G.

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