NZ Government spends $115 million on 450 new cell towers useless to thousands of mobile devices

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › NZ Government spends $115 million on 450 new cell towers useless to thousands of mobile devices

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#2601291 10-Nov-2020 20:06

I'm come from the angle of how does this affect me in a worse case scenario

I require to make an outward VOICE 111 call (or to roadside support AA etc although the later have an app now)

It may not work and I should not assume my phone will revert to 3G, therefore if I find I cannot make a call I force my phone to 3G?

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#2601321 10-Nov-2020 20:38

A lot of these new sites are coming without 3G, so if you have a phone that supports VoLTE, but don't have the settings provisioned, because your phone is not one of the "chosen" by the network operator (aka. you didn't buy it from them), then your call (emergency or general) would then fail in a location with LTE only coverage with no 3G. Of course it will work fine, once you arrive to an area with 3G availbility.

Vodafone make it easy to predict when your voice call will fail, just go to the coverage maps, and select "4G voice", and toggle "3G". If 3G doesn't appear over 4G voice shading, then that means it's not a good place to break down. The good thing is that you will be able to send a text message, and use your data just fine.

thelonepinetree

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#2601336 10-Nov-2020 21:00

Notable places with VoLTE (4G voice) reception without 3G as of today on Vodafone coverage maps:

North Island:

a lot of SH43
Chunk of Kaipara
chunks of Far North
Minginui / Whirinaki Forest Park
Te Kaha
Parts of SH35
Whangara
Omakere, Pourere, Aramoana, Blackhead
Multiple spots in Manawatu away from populated areas
Parikino
Waitotara

South Island:

Cass / part of SH73
Kokatahi
Pukekura
Kakapotahi
Albury
Haast
Qualburn
Paerau
Hindon
SH1 between Pukerau & Waipahi
Number of rural areas around Invercargill
Waikawa Valley
Niagara
Progress Valley
Pahia (Southland)
Ruahine
Round Hill
Colac Bay
Tihaka
Waihoaka
SH99 North of Clifden
Lillburn
Monowai
Blackmount
SH94 around Te Anau Downs

A bit ironic, as the Mobile Black Spots Fund (MBSF) is used to pay to bring coverage to some of these areas, with one of the reasons being: "For State Highways the top priority is to deliver coverage to the longest black spots, black spots with the highest traffic volumes, and those with the highest vehicle crash rates.".

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#2601338 10-Nov-2020 21:08

thelonepinetree:

Notable places with VoLTE (4G voice) reception without 3G as of today on Vodafone coverage maps:

North Island: Chunk of Kaipara

@thelonepinetree This is where I own a house and all sites I have attached to have CSFB / 3G for Voice

thelonepinetree

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#2601339 10-Nov-2020 21:14

I thought you're one of the lucky phones with VoLTE actually working in NZ, so why would you care? For crying out loud, dude - it's not hard to find these "chunks" on the map. I even included link.

And you probably didn't know that these maps are estimates, but give you a good idea of probability of a failed call.

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#2601342 10-Nov-2020 21:20

thelonepinetree:

I thought you're one of the lucky phones with VoLTE actually working in NZ, so why would you care? For crying out loud, dude - it's not hard to find these "chunks" on the map. I even included link.

And you probably didn't know that these maps are estimates, but give you a good idea of probability of a failed call.

All those locations are covered with 3G fall back for voice

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MaxineN

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#2601343 10-Nov-2020 21:21

Haast has 3 towers all with 3G and 1 with Band 28 LTE.

Checked with gis.geek.nz

edit: te kaha also has 2100mhz 3G and the outlying areas

I honestly hope someone is checking all of these with GIS because this seems extreme to claim a lot of places without actually going there first hand.

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.

ajw

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#2601344 10-Nov-2020 21:21

Linux:

thelonepinetree:

I thought you're one of the lucky phones with VoLTE actually working in NZ, so why would you care? For crying out loud, dude - it's not hard to find these "chunks" on the map. I even included link.

And you probably didn't know that these maps are estimates, but give you a good idea of probability of a failed call.

All those locations are covered with 3G fall back for voice

Which is 2100MHZ.

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#2601345 10-Nov-2020 21:23

@ajw and 900Mhz 3G

thelonepinetree

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#2601351 10-Nov-2020 21:35

MaxineN:

Haast has 3 towers all with 3G and 1 with Band 28 LTE.

Checked with gis.geek.nz

edit: te kaha also has 2100mhz 3G and the outlying areas

I honestly hope someone is checking all of these with GIS because this seems extreme to claim a lot of places without actually going there first hand.

I'm going by the coverage maps only. I cant be everywhere, sorry.

But I know about Haast - 3G only within 2km of the transmitter - that was the original satellite-based antenna behind the toilets, the 4G LTE is new, and reaches much larger area. I'm not sure if it's satellite fed or not still. So your call will still fail if you're not in the town.

thelonepinetree

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#2601352 10-Nov-2020 21:37

Linux:

thelonepinetree:

I thought you're one of the lucky phones with VoLTE actually working in NZ, so why would you care? For crying out loud, dude - it's not hard to find these "chunks" on the map. I even included link.

And you probably didn't know that these maps are estimates, but give you a good idea of probability of a failed call.

All those locations are covered with 3G fall back for voice

Not according to coverage maps, which as I said might not be 100% accurate:

But if anyone's experiencing good 4G coverage and your data connection is solid, and then you try to make a call and it drops, then this is what the problem is... Your phone can't talk VoLTE.

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MaxineN

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#2601356 10-Nov-2020 21:44

So get an approved handset that can do it and has been tested to work. If you don't you're literally playing with fire.

Example. This I have an S20+ 5G and a Oneplus 8. My S20+ is the global exynos variant with 2d firmware on it and I can slap whatever sim I want in it and VoLTE will work because it's been tested with all 3 carriers to work with VoLTE.

My imported Oneplus 8 took some work to get VoLTE working but we got there(unless you know what you are doing. Don't do this. You can brick your device, break your warranty and I am not responsible for missing your alarm or nuclear war). It's not approved and in my testing it seems to work "fine" but I would not call it supported and I expect literally no help.

Additionally some areas are only B28 and the IN2010 of the OP8 does not have B28 so I am playing with even more fire. Guess what I'd rather take with me if I am going to rural areas of NZ.

Spoilers it's not the Oneplus 8!

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.

thelonepinetree

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#2601357 10-Nov-2020 21:47

Right, so the message to general public (millions of people?) who wouldn't have a clue about any of that - buy a new phone because it might or might not work when you really need it.

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#2601361 10-Nov-2020 21:53

thelonepinetree:

Right, so the message to general public (millions of people?) who wouldn't have a clue about any of that - buy a new phone because it might or might not work when you really need it.

100% correct and the reason why is because Technology changes

Glad you have now worked this out

Oblivian

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#2601363 10-Nov-2020 21:54

If relying on a device in your pocket to make calls and or the primary means of comms in an emergency at the drop of the hat

It's a sure fire sign one didn't grow up in the 80s/early 90s. Help was always likely a ~5k drive down the road to ask for help, find a phone or get signal for the shoebox sized device you had in your boot.

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