Spark 5G Coverage

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StevieT

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#311055 10-Dec-2023 19:42

https://www.spark.co.nz/5g/home/articles/5g-now-live-across-new-locations/

"Earlier this year Spark announced that it will invest an additional $35 million to accelerate our 5G rollout, boosting total mobile connectivity investment to $125 million in FY22, and delivering 5G coverage to approximately 90% of the population by the end of calendar year 2023. This is assuming the necessary spectrum is made available by the New Zealand Government."

As it is nearly the end of 2023, how is this coming along? Anyone from Spark know?

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#3170419 10-Dec-2023 19:49

I have a SparkNZ 5G tower near home and my work handset spends more time on 3G than 4G/5G

2degrees 5G is superior where it is deployed I can take you into Auckland CBD and SparkNZ handset ' emergency calls only ' and 2degrees great 5G coverage

Yes 2degrees has the smallest 5G footprint out of the 3 carriers but the performance is just sooooo much better! They are slowly catching up building out the new Ericsson network

DjShadow

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#3170420 10-Dec-2023 19:51

Starting to see 5G coverage show up in Lower Hutt (only in the past few weeks)

Behodar

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#3170421 10-Dec-2023 19:52

I can at least say that there's 5G in Whakatane now, when there wasn't ~6 months ago.

StevieT

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#3170425 10-Dec-2023 20:22

DjShadow:

Starting to see 5G coverage show up in Lower Hutt (only in the past few weeks)

Oh really?! Awesome - I'm in Petone, and have a SIM - that is loaded with just data - for my laptop, which contains a 5G module. I know earlier last month I couldn't get 5G (should the connection change from LTE to 5G?)

EDIT: I don't see anything on the coverage map for Lower Hutt - perhaps it needs updating.

Linux

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#3170426 10-Dec-2023 20:24

StevieT:

DjShadow:

Starting to see 5G coverage show up in Lower Hutt (only in the past few weeks)

Oh really?! Awesome - I'm in Petone, and have a SIM - that is loaded with just data - for my laptop, which contains a 5G module. I know earlier last month I couldn't get 5G (should the connection change from LTE to 5G?)

@StevieT Does the 5G module support the correct 5G band for New Zealand?

Coverage maps are updated about every 4 to 8 weeks

Talkiet

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#3170429 10-Dec-2023 20:43

Linux:

I have a SparkNZ 5G tower near home and my work handset spends more time on 3G than 4G/5G

2degrees 5G is superior where it is deployed I can take you into Auckland CBD and SparkNZ handset ' emergency calls only ' and 2degrees great 5G coverage

Yes 2degrees has the smallest 5G footprint out of the 3 carriers but the performance is just sooooo much better! They are slowly catching up building out the new Ericsson network

What handset? Your description of a handset spending more time on 3G than 4 or 5G when close to a 5G enabled tower is at odds with all testing I have seen and done. This is not a typical situation and hopefully you're offering it up only as a 1 off anecdote - not insinuating that it's expected behaviour.

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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#3170430 10-Dec-2023 20:58

@Talkiet sending you a DM here on GZ

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StevieT

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#3170590 11-Dec-2023 11:59

Linux:

@StevieT Does the 5G module support the correct 5G band for New Zealand?

Coverage maps are updated about every 4 to 8 weeks

Yes, the module is Fibocom FM350-GL.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#3170705 11-Dec-2023 14:31

Still patchy around Tauranga and Hamilton/Cambridge area.

I don't think they are going to meet that 90% coverage date ☹️

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

StevieT

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#3170753 11-Dec-2023 16:13

I know when I went into known 5G areas in Wellington, my laptop did not change from LTE to 5G. However, it could be due to the positioning or settings of the antennae. The place that installed the module and antennae placed the antennae in the base as they weren't long enough to go behind the screen. However, I've taken the laptop to another IT place who have ordered longer-length antennae so they do reach that far.

The laptop I ordered from Australia: https://www.fujitsu.com/nz/products/computing/pc/notebooks/lifebook-u7613/

Ideally Fujitsu would have let me order the laptop with 5G configuration, but that's currently only available in European countries for the U7613 model.

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#3170755 11-Dec-2023 16:16

@StevieT I bet 5G is not provisioned on the number in the laptop

StevieT

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#3170777 11-Dec-2023 16:48

Linux:

@StevieT I bet 5G is not provisioned on the number in the laptop

I believe it is. See global specs https://www.fujitsu.com/global/products/computing/pc/notebooks/lifebook-u7613/

The module is installed in the laptop and comes up as Intel 5G Solution in device manager.

EDIT: something really needs to be done about the URLs being pasted on this forum, and how easily editable they are if you type after.

Linux

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#3170783 11-Dec-2023 17:00

StevieT:
Linux:

@StevieT I bet 5G is not provisioned on the number in the laptop

I believe it is. See global specs https://www.fujitsu.com/global/products/computing/pc/notebooks/lifebook-u7613/

The module is installed in the laptop and comes up as Intel 5G Solution in device manager.

EDIT: something really needs to be done about the URLs being pasted on this forum, and how easily editable they are if you type after.

Nope I mean provisioned on the SparkNZ network to access 5G / NR

StevieT

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#3170787 11-Dec-2023 17:11

I thought all plans were 5G-enabled?

EDIT: when I ordered the SIM, help desk told me it'd work on what's available - whether that be 4G or 5G. The limitation to just 4G would be the laptop, for example.

But I should note trying to get started with the SIM card over the phone - despite the packaging it was a plug in and you're ready job - was I had to go in store to activate the card. That was with my then HP EliteBook, which only supports up to 4G.

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#3170791 11-Dec-2023 17:22

Ring SparkNZ and ask if 5G is provisioned on the mobile number of the SIM in the laptop

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