Carolyn Luey (Vodafone NZ)
Vodafone has launched its 5G fixed wireless service to rival fibre in parts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
Vodafone said the SuperWifi package offers fast 5G download speeds, unlimited data and reliable wireless connections from $69 a month.
It is delivered with a "plug-in-and-go" setup that does not require a technician or special cabling.
Customers can extend the service throughout their home or business to deliver wall-to-wall wi-fi coverage or they will receive a $100 credit.
Vodafone's 5G network may be the biggest in the land, but for now it still only reaches consumers in relatively small and mainly urban areas.
However, Vodafone said it was turbocharging network investment in 2021, with 5G coming to Tauranga and Palmerston North soon.
The announcement comes as telcos with mobile networks strive to entice customers onto those networks for broadband services as well, boosting their profitability in the process by avoiding Chorus' wholesale charges.
The service comes with unlimited data delivered via the mobile network.
Carolyn Luey, consumer director, said customers on 4G broadband were some of the company's most satisfied, so Vodafone was confident Kiwis would love 5G Broadband.
“We want our customers to have access to next-generation tech, so we are now excited to offer 5G broadband in parts of Aotearoa’s major urban centres -- with more locations coming soon," Luey said.
Vodafone's testing showed 5G broadband download speeds on the network could reach up to 750 Mbit/s per second with 5G breaking a Gbit/s per second speeds in optimum conditions.
"This compares well with other broadband technologies including fibre," Luey said.
The launch comes after trials with select businesses, including the 5G Broadband powering the Covid-19 all of government response centre for six months in 2020.
“We know how important good internet connectivity is for Kiwi homes and businesses, particularly with Covid-19 increasing our reliance on digital services and more New Zealanders working free-range outside of a traditional office environment, so we’ll continue to innovate," Luey said.
Vodafone's 5G network had the potential to be at least ten times faster than 4G – and to ultimately offer lower latency and the potential for many more connected devices to operate simultaneously, she said.
