4G coverage on the North Shore

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › 4G coverage on the North Shore

Frane

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#147425 18-Jun-2014 21:13

Is anyone able to explain me why Vodafone and Telecom tend to ignore commercially active North Shore areas including Albany industrial and retails parks for their 4G rollouts? Here is the current coverage map:

We have a small software development business in Albany and would love our visiting clients being able to use faster data connections. Not to mention all those shoppers around... Somehow it doesn't make sense to me.

Any idea?

F.

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#1068886 18-Jun-2014 21:16

There is a reason. JohnR would be the only one who could answer. Not something anyone could say anyway :).
You can see the footprint is fairly similar anyway, just not at the mega center.

insane

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#1068887 18-Jun-2014 21:17

You're right, it is hard to find 4G in Albany, but having said that the 3G speeds are still super fast.

Just how fast do you need it to be? Could you provide free wifi to your clients instead?

Coil

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#1068888 18-Jun-2014 21:17

insane:Just how fast do you need it to be? Could you provide free wifi to your clients instead?

That would be the best option.

DS248

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#1068918 18-Jun-2014 22:23

TimA:
insane:Just how fast do you need it to be? Could you provide free wifi to your clients instead?

That would be the best option.

Given Tim's answer, sounds like "no time soon" for Albany. Alas, I suspect Hibiscus Coast is in the same boat

Coil

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#1068920 18-Jun-2014 22:31

DS248:
TimA:
insane:Just how fast do you need it to be? Could you provide free wifi to your clients instead?

That would be the best option.

Given Tim's answer, sounds like "no time soon" for Albany. Alas, I suspect Hibiscus Coast is in the same boat

I never said anything about time frames. If you drive in Albany you will spot Vodafone 4G towers.

Frane

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#1081879 6-Jul-2014 16:31

Interestingly enough, Albany is suddenly covered by Telecom and Vodafone.

Must be the power of Geekzone.

johnr

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#1081886 6-Jul-2014 16:36

Nothing to do with (Sorry MF) network build does not happen cause of a thread on GZ

4G Vodafone coverage has been in Albany for a while just a delay from when a site goes live to when the coverage map is updated

Stewart Island has Vodafone coverage but I am sure map is not updated yet as the site is unlocked customers can attach to it but it's not handed over for day to day operations from the build team and then the coverage map is updated a number of weeks later,

Lots of 4G sites are going live right across NZ have a look at some of my tweets @johnreader

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Frane

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#1081889 6-Jul-2014 16:43

johnr: Nothing to do with (Sorry MF) network build does not happen cause of a thread on GZ

4G Vodafone coverage has been in Albany for a while just a delay from when a site goes live to when the coverage map is updated

Stewart Island has Vodafone coverage but I am sure map is not updated yet as the site is unlocked customers can attach to it but it's not handed over for day to day operations from the build team and then the coverage map is updated a number of weeks later,

Lots of 4G sites are going live right across NZ have a look at some of my tweets @johnreader

So my current provider Telecom should be grateful for out of date VF maps... I would probably consider ditching them otherwise.

Thanks for the clarification johnr.

johnr

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#1081892 6-Jul-2014 16:48

The coverage map is out of date all the time due to the number of new sites going live including 2G / 3G

Check out this thread on the Vodafone NZ community

https://community.vodafone.co.nz/t5/Mobile-Broadband/New-Mobile-Coverage/m-p/124003#U124003

quickymart

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#1081908 6-Jul-2014 17:26

Any plans for improving 4G at Smales Farm? I would have thought it would be great as they're just across the carpark...would it be easy to install a new cellsite on top of the Vodafone building?

Frane

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#1081911 6-Jul-2014 17:31

quickymart: Any plans for improving 4G at Smales Farm? I would have thought it would be great as they're just across the carpark...would it be easy to install a new cellsite on top of the Vodafone building?

Maybe the VF team in Takapuna didn't notice the bad coverage... they must be using WiFi internally :)

johnr

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#1081912 6-Jul-2014 17:36

quickymart: Any plans for improving 4G at Smales Farm? I would have thought it would be great as they're just across the carpark...would it be easy to install a new cellsite on top of the Vodafone building?

All the area is covered by 4G I don't live far away and work at Smales farm from time to time so I have no idea what you are on about sorry, The sites down Northcote Road have 4G into Northcote shopping centre across to Milford and down to Hillcrest / Wairau Road and into Takapuna

There has been a site on the top of the old TCL building for years

You need to remember 4G as of today is on 1800Mhz and not 900Mhz like 3G so in building coverage will be impacted by the operating frequency we can't change the law of physics

quickymart

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#1082001 6-Jul-2014 19:02

My wife works at Smales Farm too and is using an iPhone 5 and reports poor 4G reception (as do several of her colleague with different 4G phones). Her 3G reception is fine.

oxnsox

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#1082005 6-Jul-2014 19:05

johnr: ........we can't change the law of physics

But we know you want to.
Just give it time ;-)

DjShadow

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#1082031 6-Jul-2014 19:51

It would be worth keeping an eye on sites like this also: http://gis.geek.nz/infrastructure.html

Even if 4G coverage isn't active it will still give an indication that its not too far away

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