Vodafone Plans $380m NZ 3G Network Expansion

Vodafone New Zealand has announced a NZD 500m ($380m) investment to extend its 3G mobile network to more than 97% of the population by 2010, up from the current 63%.

The company’s 2G network currently serves 97% of the households. The company plans to enhance its downlink and uplink speeds by 28.8Mbps and 11.5Mbps, respectively, and roll out new broadband and home phone products to take on competition from Telecom Corp of New Zealand, which has also announced a $100m network expansion investment.

Tom Chignell, general manager for corporate affairs at Vodafone, said: “The network extension means we’ll be able to offer true broadband speeds to almost every New Zealander, especially rural customers. The broadband services on their mobiles can be used as a cost-effective home solution, where no landline-based broadband is available.”