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Delorean
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  #3280908 11-Sep-2024 11:35
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As you can see, Spark only has two main towers in the heart of Rolleston vs. three for One NZ and 2D (colour-coded as per brand)

 

Past Foster Park toward Faringdon is where the OP is located; that area relies basically on the one-tower, whereas 2D and one NZ has two.

 

Based on the OP location 2D is the best option





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Talkiet
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  #3280949 11-Sep-2024 14:04
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Delorean:

 

WiFi calling works if you are at home. However, Spark's coverage across Selwyn is flakey; even West Melton, considered a more upmarket area, has little coverage outside the main shopping area. 

 

For whatever reason, One NZ and 2D are the traditional "Spark" in Selwyn. I guess it is because 10 years ago, most of Rolleston was paddocks, so each telco had to build up the network from scratch. One NZ and 2D were faster off the mark and sorted it sooner.

 

I know if you were in other rural areas, Spark would usually be way better. But not here.

 

my 2c 

 

 

Interesting, I live in West Melton and my Spark coverage is great. If of course you live in the truly rural areas then of course there's a good chance that any mobile provider is going to have less coverage there... I can't believe we still see the odd "I only live a 4 minute drive from X, so why is my mobile coverage rubbish?"

 

Cheers - N





Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.


Linux
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  #3280961 11-Sep-2024 15:03
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@Talkiet 150% agree on your comment " I only live a 4 minute drive from X, so why is my mobile coverage rubbish "

 

Or " I can see the Sky Tower "  Like what has that got to do with anything!




quickymart
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  #3280977 11-Sep-2024 15:43
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Or "I'm 2 minutes off SH1, why can't I get fibre?" 😀


muppet
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  #3280985 11-Sep-2024 16:08
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Before we get too frustrated with trees blocking our mobile phone coverage,
Understand that they play a crucial role in keeping our planet healthy.
Really, they are the lungs of the Earth, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Not to mention, they provide habitats for countless species and help prevent soil erosion.

 

Trees do have their annoyances, like standing tall and proud in the way of our signals.
However, they give back far more than they take away, from shade to shelter to beauty.
Every breath we take is thanks to the work they do filtering and purifying our air.
Maybe it’s time to look beyond the inconvenience of a missed call or a text delay.

 

Don’t let a little patchy reception cloud the bigger picture of their immense value.
Our planet would be a barren, desolate place without their quiet, steady presence.
Without trees, we’d lose so much more than just a few bars on our phones.
Nature knows best, even when it messes with our signal!





Audiophiles are such twits! They buy such pointless stuff: Gold plated cables, $2000 power cords. Idiots.

 

OOOHHHH HYPERFIBRE!


boosacnoodle
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  #3281216 11-Sep-2024 22:44
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Coverage is highly variable in Greater Christchurch. I had almost no One NZ reception today at the Blenheim Square shopping centre. Full bars on 2degrees.

In Wigram, similar story. One NZ installed a tower a few months back that’s ok the border of Wigram with 5G but anywhere south of that tower does not work due to trees. Both Spark and 2degrees have a tower near the motorway (SH76). 2degrees also has a tower in Wigram proper. One NZ does not.

I thought with the divestment of tower assets this situation may get better but it seems to be almost getting worse.

nztim
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  #3281348 12-Sep-2024 10:57
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I was last down that way over 2 and a bit years ago, once and ony my Work spark mobile it was full coverage in West Melton and after driving down West Welton road out of the township it dropped to 1 bar after a KM it dropped to 1 bar

 

so the coverage is very township focused, I cant comment on improvements in the last two years

 

 





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  #3281351 12-Sep-2024 11:12
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Spark's strategy in most areas I've noticed is to add as much capacity to their existing sites -- so often you'll see a central site with up to seven LTE carriers (L700/L1800/L2300x3/L2600). And only once they max out that one site and start seeing capacity issues, then they may add another L700/L1800 only sites in the outskirts.

 

2deg/One on the other hand don't have much spectrum to play with so their strategy is more or less forced into having to build out more sites -- and they are very proactive in doing so in order to stay ahead of capacity/coverage issues. That's why you more often see e.g. 2degrees having 2-3 sites with up to 4 LTE carriers each (L700/L900/L1800/L2100) and One 2-3 sites with up to 5 LTE carriers each (L700/L900/L1800/L2100/L2600). Often new builds are strategically located to capture new roads/subdivisions etc.

 

Spark's strategy works only if you happen to live near their existing Spark sites. However 2deg/One has more towers in many places, so it usually works out that most people are more likely to be near a 2deg/One tower so generally for most 2deg/One offers the better signal strength. The rate 2deg/One build out new sites also means if you have issues now, it's usually gone in the next year or two. Spark is more likely to remain an issue as they tend to hold new builds until they need it.

 

YMMV above is just my observation over the last 20 years.


Aucklandjafa
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  #3281463 12-Sep-2024 13:13
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Carriers’ performance has always changed from region to region. Spark, up until recently, dominated the Wairarapa, Martinborough alone has had 2 sites in the township for several years where as One has just built their first site. Central Otago, Spark has always been miles ahead, too. I’ve noticed One has been building new sites way quicker than Spark latly - but I guess they have to to get more on par - and it seems to be working.

Regardless, once Spark retires their 3G network, their L700 band’s foot print will be larger.

tripper1000
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  #3281470 12-Sep-2024 13:57
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Regardless, once Spark retires their 3G network, their L700 band’s foot print will be larger.

 

I wasn't aware anyone had 700MHz 3G(?)

 

I don't know about Spark and their 700/850 MHz bands, but on 2dm there is so little 900MHz spectrum in 3G use that switching it all over to 4G will be barely noticeable. 

 

Trees must be a bigger problem at 3500 MHz 5G than the lower bands. 


  #3281477 12-Sep-2024 15:01
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tripper1000:

 

Regardless, once Spark retires their 3G network, their L700 band’s foot print will be larger.

 

I wasn't aware anyone had 700MHz 3G(?)

 

I don't know about Spark and their 700/850 MHz bands, but on 2dm there is so little 900MHz spectrum in 3G use that switching it all over to 4G will be barely noticeable. 

 

Trees must be a bigger problem at 3500 MHz 5G than the lower bands. 

 

 

L700 means LTE (4G) 700. Correct no one has 700 MHz 3G.

 

5MHz of L900 made a massive difference to 2degree's LTE service when it was switched on in Auckland some years ago. Many places went from having no usable G900/U900 service to having some very usable L900 service due to LTE's better performance at the far edge of coverage. So even 5MHz is still very useful as a supplement to L1800/L2100 as it stretches LTE coverage further into buildings etc. With 3G going away that means 2degrees could deploy both 10Mhz L700 and 10MHz L900 which can CA to 20MHz@L1800/15MHz@L2100. Agree it is not much against Spark's 20MHz L700 and their massive L1800/2100/2300/2600 (and if I was a gambling man I'd put money on Spark deploying 15Mhz NR850 giving 5G dedicated low-band capacity). However also keep in mind 2deg/One has more sites more closer together so the other end of the trade-off is they rely on low-band (i.e. 700/850/900) less than Spark does as they have more high-band (1800/2100/2300/2600) footprint than spark.

 

All about tradeoffs at the end of the day.


Aucklandjafa
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  #3281490 12-Sep-2024 15:32
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tripper1000:

Regardless, once Spark retires their 3G network, their L700 band’s foot print will be larger.


I wasn't aware anyone had 700MHz 3G(?)


I don't know about Spark and their 700/850 MHz bands, but on 2dm there is so little 900MHz spectrum in 3G use that switching it all over to 4G will be barely noticeable. 


Trees must be a bigger problem at 3500 MHz 5G than the lower bands. 



Spark artificially shrinks its 4G L700 network to match, give or take, their 3G 850 network, otherwise people with non VoLTE phones would see they have coverage but wouldn’t be able to make calls. Once 3G is gone, L700 footprint should increase

Goosey
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  #3282081 14-Sep-2024 12:21
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@delorean 

 

I think there’s two towers missing, there’s at least one on Goulds road. Unsure whose…as it appears there’s a whole lotta streets missing from the map that appeared in the past 2 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 


grantius
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  #3294100 7-Oct-2024 18:24
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I also have noticed over the last 5 years - signal, contention and speed is getting worse and worse for all carriers in Pokeno. The dinky shared tower on the hill has seemed to get worse and worse.
Spark had 5G turned on for a couple weeks earlier in the year and it seemed much better but it was turned off and hasn't appeared since.

It also tries to hang me on with -120rsrp to 2600mhz nuking battery life, even though forcing 700 or 1800mhz it has closer to -94.


Quinny
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  #3294122 7-Oct-2024 19:47
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Goosey:

 

@delorean 

 

I think there’s two towers missing, there’s at least one on Goulds road. Unsure whose…as it appears there’s a whole lotta streets missing from the map that appeared in the past 2 years.

 

 

 

 

Yeah there is. Its further down Goulds where the new Arbour Green subdivision will be. I doubt anyone has kept up with Rolleston growth (now bigger than Ashburton and they just said bigger than Dunedin in 10 years at this rate). The blue blob in middle of Faringdon went in a couple of weeks ago so may not work yet - not sure.

 

I have One 4g in Faringdon and keep hoping it will change to 5g which the Jones Rd side has. My new iPhone has worse connection that the old Oppo.


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