Vodafone doubles capacity of Auckland network

Vodafone New Zealand has announced that it has doubled the capacity, improved coverage and increased speeds to two-thirds of its Auckland network. Tony Baird, Vodafone’s chief network officer, confirmed that the company has upgraded 300 of its 450 cell sites in Auckland, with the rest set to follow over the coming weeks. All upgraded sites now run on the 900MHz and 2100MHz spectrum bands, allowing mobile signals to travel deeper into built-up areas. In addition, Baird has said that Vodafone has also introduced Dual Carrier (DC)-HSPA+ technology in Auckland, as part of a significant investment programme that will see approximately 50% of its cell sites, covering roughly 70% of the population, upgraded by April 2013. Wellington and Christchurch are next in line for the upgrade. Further, Baird clarified that all sites constructed under the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) already use DC technology. Vodafone’s network upgrade is being carried out in partnership with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN).