Vodafone New Zealand announced that it has now covered 94 per cent of the country’s population with its 4G mobile network. Vodafone was the first to introduce 4G services in 2013 and has since watched data usage surge in line with consumers’ increasing appetite for better connectivity.
In 2015, Vodafone was the first to introduce innovative carrier aggregation technology to its 4G network – further boosting mobile download speeds for its customers.
Considered an important building block for 5G, carrier aggregation allows different parts of radio spectrum to be paired at mobile sites across the country. It is currently enabled across 40 per cent of Vodafone’s 4G network.
Vodafone said that a key area of the company’s research and development is in small cell technology, with its solar-powered Moonshine Valley prototype as an example.
Tony Baird, Vodafone's Technology Director
Small cells are like mini cell sites that can operate completely off-the-grid, delivering super-fast 4G broadband and mobile coverage to hard-to-reach communities that have previously had nothing. We’re hugely excited about the potential of small cells to extend our coverage footprint even further across New Zealand – particularly in rural areas where rugged landscapes are notorious for blocking mobile signals.
