Christchurch Quake: phone network updates

TELSTRACLEAR 5.05PM:  Our HFC network in Christchurch remains intact, and virtually all the cabinets that provide services to our residential and business customers in the affected area have had power restored to them.  However there will be some customers who may not have all their services.  This will be due to the local conditions of your home or business, and the surrounds, which may have affected the equipment used to carry our services. 

We are prioritising our efforts to help ensure key services are in place for customers on our medical dependency register and our business and residential customers. 

We have set up two dedicated lines for Christchurch customers. 

We are offering Christchurch-based residential customers free national and international caling (except 0900 services) from their landline.  This is in place from midnight February 22 until midnight March 12. 

We are also offering free landline-to-mobile diverts (depending on network capability). 

There are known problems with some InHome phoneline, broadband and TV customers, and with email services on Clearnet.

VODAFONE 3PM:  The operational status of the network remains the same as yesterday.  Customers may experience some congestion on the netowrk particularly at the peak hours from 11am-1pm weekdays.  This is due to unusually high usage in the area.  We have placed an order with Spunlite, a Christchurch company, for ten new cell masts and additional street cabinets will be sourced from another Christchurch company, Eaton.  Five more COWs (cell sites on wheels) are bing built in Auckland and Napier over the next five weeks.  This infrastructure cost runs into the millions of dollars.  Optimus Prime, our retail truck, remains at Homebase for the next month and other smaller mobile service centres are being sent to Christchurch today.  We have been providing credit assistance to customers who have needed it.  We are adding more capacity to the network and are assisting our customers in the following ways: 

- Crediting all Christchurch fixed line customers with one month's free calling to landline and mobiles on all networks for the month of March, backdated to include the period from 22 February to the end of February.

- Waiving the disconnection and reconnection fees for home phone customers whose homes have been affected. 

- Waiving the early termination charges for any of our SKY customers with a Christchurch address. 

- Offering free call diversions from Vodafone landline or Home Phone Wireless phones to another NZ landline or mobile number, free for 30 days, for customers unable to get into their homes or businesses. 

- Waiving any of the normal fees related to cancelling your Vodafone contract or new connection charges if you have to relocate your services. 

- Emergency packs for Christchurch residents including a mobile phone, prepar SIM and more.  Donations via Vodafone Red Alert for the Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal has now reached $1.25 million.

 

VODAFONE 4PM 3/03:  The network is functioning well with no congestion.  There is improved coverage from yesterday. 

16 cell sites are running on generator power and a small number are off line.  These suburbs will have reduced, 2G coverage today as a result: CBD (North - Kilmore St, East - Gloucester St and South - Lichfield St), Richmond East/Avonside, Phillipstown near AMI stadium. 

Five COWs (mobile mounted cell sites have been deployed in sites that are most affected with a further two being put in place this afternoon. 

Our mobile retail store Optimus Prime is at Homebase, Marhslands Rd, Shirley and public can use phones onboard for free calling. 

Stores in Hornby Mall, Northlands Mall, Christchurch Airport and First Mobile in Riccarton are open for public to make free calls from. 

Donations using Vodafone Red Alert text donation service to the Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal have reached $1.25 million. 

In the past week we have been providing credit assistance to customers who needed it.  We are adding more capacity to the network and when this is finished we will announce aid packages for our Christchurch mobile customers. 

For further aid provided by Vodafone and other telcos please see this story

TELECOM 4PM 2/03:  Overall Telecom's network remains stable and operational.  All exchanges are working on a combination of mains and generated power, as are the majority of roadside cabinets.  The mobile network is fully functioning and work is now focused on diagnosing and restoring localised faults.

Earthquake damage has effected some large underground cables particulary in the east of the city.  This is affecting services within the suburbs of Linwood, Mt Pleasant, Shirley, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttleton and Beckenham.  Chorus technicians are working as quickly as possible to assess damage and find the best option for restoring services.  More than 37 major cables ahve been repaired, however there are still customers without phone or internet services, particularly in Christchurch, due to physical damage or loss of power. 

We announced earlier today that we'll credit residential landline customers in Christchurch and its neighbouring towns for any national and international calls made in the week following Tuesday's earthquake (until midnight Monday 28 February).

We have extended the relief credit to the local calling areas of Akaroa, Darfield, Rangiora, Amberley and Ashburton.

The credit will be applied immediately but it may not show immediately on your account, depending on your monthly billing cycle.

More than 5000 analogue phones have been distributed in Christchurch with more on the way.  These can be picked up from one of the Connect Hubs located at welfare centres in Christchurch. 

More than 55,000 calls have been made from the 260 free payphones across Christchurch.  Locations of these and free WiFi hotspots can be found at www.telecom.co.nz/chch

More than 30,000 people have used the txt-to-donate service to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.

TELSTRACLEAR 2.51PM:  TelstraClear continues to work around the clock to provide support to residential customers and businesses looking to relocate to other sites around the city. 

Our free national and international calling (except 0900 and other special-service numbers) for Christchurch-based fixed-line residential customers runs from February 22 to March 12. 

We are currently re-locating our Christchurch-based call centre and calls are being diverted to centers elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas.  Extended call-waiting times may results.  Unless urgent, we ask customers to consider leaving their enquiry to a later date. 

However we do have dedicated call lines for Christchurch customers who may be experiencing hardship issues or who need immediate help with their services.  Residential customers should call 0508 2424 11 and business customers should call 0508 24 24 12. 

TelstraClear's HFC network is fully operational and cabinets are running on either mains or generator power.  We estimate 6000 customers are without full services, due to local power issues and conditions of their houses and surroundings. 

Ongoing status updates are available at http://networkstatus.telstraclear.co.nz/?section=customer-zone&submenu=servicestatus

2DEGREES 3PM 1/03:  The Christchurch network has been restored and 2degrees is meeting the needs of its customers. 

Chief Executive Eric Hertz said service is available throughout the city.  "Our network in Christchurch is operating, including full 2G and 3G services, and we're meeting the needs of our customers."  Mr Hertz went on to say 2degrees is not experiencing any congestion and is dealing with traffic well. 

The company reports is has sufficient back-up power supplies and is deploying Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) to provide stronger coverage to some areas of the city.

VODAFONE, 1.30PM 1/03:  Overall the network is operating well with no congestion but 18 of our cell sites are on generator power and a small number are off the air. As a result there is reduced, 2G coverage in the following areas: CBD, Richmond East/Avonside, Avondale East/Aranui, Linwood North/Linwood East/Woolston West.  Four COWs (mobile cell sites) have been deployed to areas most impacted by faulty cell sites with another two in place this afternoon.

Today we are also setting up mobile hotspots at various Welfare Centres around Christchurch.  These welfare centres will also be provided with a number of free calling phones for the public’s use. 


Our mobile retail store – Optimus Prime is still in Christchurch and is located at Homebase, Marshlands Road, Shirley.  It will remain there open from 9am-5pm daily offering services such as SIM cards, mobile phones, Vodems and chargers. The public can use phones onboard the truck for free calling.

If you are unable to return to your home or your business premises we will waive any of the normal fees related to cancelling your contract. We will also put your account on hold for 30 days until your situation improves.
 

TELECOM 1.30PM, 28/02:  Telecom has established Telecom Connect Hubs at the Christchurch welfare centres that offer free calling, free internet access, mobile charging facilities and distribution of analogue phones for people without power.  Initial demand has been to make calls to friends and family, organise assistance to return to homes, clear emails and confirm safety and location to networks on Facebook. These hubs are located in Burnside High School, Pioneer Stadium Spreydon, Cowles Stadium Wainoni, Roy Stokes Hall New Brighton, Windsor Primary school and Rangiora Baptist Centre. 

Gen-i has established communication services at the welfare centres and is supporting the staff with voice, data and mobile connectivity.  The staff have been provided with mobile devices, XT data cards, wireless printers and scanners. 

More than 40,000 calls have been made from the 260 free Telecom payphones across Christchurch. 

Free WiFi is available at Telecom Riccarton Mall, Cafe Zero in Cashmere Rd and the Westpac Centre in Addington. 

More than 24,000 people have donated to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal using the txt-to-donate service. 

Overall the network remains up and stable and all exchanges are operational with a combinatio of mains and generated power, as are the majority of mobile sites.

VODAFONE 2PM 27/02:  Overall the network is functioning well.  19 of our cell sites are still reliant upon generators and a number of sites are off air due to various problems including inaccessibility due to structural damage and underground transmission cable faults.  As a result there will be little or no coverage in these sites today:  Eastern parts of the CBD, Redwood South, Burwood, Dallington, Aranui, Woolston West, South Brighton.  Three COWs (mobile cell sites) have been deployed in places impacted by faulty cell sites.  We are also setting up mobile hotspots at various welfare centres around Christchurch.

Additional relief staff from other parts of the country are arriving in Christchurch today to ensure we maintain round the clock services.
The following retail stores have now been inspected and are cleared to open;
 
Hornby Mall – open now
Northlands Mall – opening Monday
Riccarton Mall – likely to open Wednesday
 
Our mobile showroom truck – Optimus Prime is still in Christchurch and is now located at Homebase, Marshlands Road, Shirley.  Information on the daily locations of the truck is available on our website and on local Christchurch radio stations and in The Press.  A reminder that the public can use free calling phones onboard the truck as well as discuss individual circumstances, and obtain car chargers free of charge.

Advice remains the same as below.

TELECOM 12PM 27/02:  Overall the Telecom network remains up and stable and all Telecom exchanges are operational with a comvination of mains and generated power, as are the majority of mobile sites.

We continued to recommend people in Christchurch minimise the use of mobile phones and use texts instead of calling when possible to free up the network for emergency response workers.  However people should use their phones for important calls. 

Our two Christchuch Gen-i data centres are operable, running on Business Continuity plans, and our managed networks are running well. 

Access to the 109 Hereford Street site remains restricted due to the police cordon around the CBD.  If required our generators are well fuelled and can sustain service for some time and we are working with clients to maintain services remotely. 

In addition to on-the-ground technical field force teams, Gen-i is sourcing and deploying ICT equipment such as servers, laptops, mobile devices and accessories.  Gen-i has shipped additional equipment to Christchurch and is now holding increased stock levels to help restonre ICT services for clients. 

More than 33,000 calls have been made from the 260 free Telecom payphones across Christchurch.  Free WiFi spots are also available at Telecom Riccarton Mall, Cafe Zero in Cashmere Rd and the Westpac Centre in Addington. 

More than 20,000 people  have used the official txt-to-donate fundraising service to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.  T

elecom customers can have their landline number diverted to another number for free.  Residential customers should call Telecom on 120 and business customers can call on 125. 

Advice remains the same as below.

2DEGREES 1.15PM 25/02:  Customers can now use their mobile phones after significant progress in restoring mobile services on the Christchurch network.

Chief Executive Eric Hertz says service is available in Christchurch so people who have held off using their mobile phones can now make calls. 

"We have generators and battery backup supporting all cell sites, although aftershocks and fluctuations in power supply mean coverage may vary, especially in the CBD," he said. 

Mr Hertz says the earthquake means the network has experienced heavier than normal traffic so if customers experience congestion they should keep trying.

TELSTRACLEAR 11.15AM:  One of the three generators that was stolen was returned yesterday. 

About 170 cabinets of TelstraClear's approximately 180 in the affected area now have either mains power or generators supplying them.  We are working to secure more generators for the remaining unpowered cabinets. 

About 12,000 customers on our HFC network remain without cable broadband and TV services, mainly due to power outages. 

The core network remains intact.  Technicians are working to monitor it and will carry out necessary work when and where it is possible.

TELECOM 11.00AM:  The state of the network has improved overnight with the continued restoration of mains power and all Telecom exchanges are operational with a combination of mains and generator power.  The majority of mobil sites are also operational.  Overall, the network is up and working and the focus is now shifted to diagnosing and restoring localised faults.

The 60 generators continue to provide backup power to those sites still without mains power. 

Telecom's team on the ground and across the country is working around the clock to provide every support possible. 

The national response to the analogue landline phone campaign has been incredible with more than 3,000 phones collected and being made ready for distribution.

Around 11,500 people have used the txt-to-donate fundraising service to donate to the New Zealand Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.  To ensure 100% of the donation makes its way to the appeal, the service is free of charge. 

More than 20,000 calls have been made from the 260 free payphones across Christchurch with two additional payphones are now stationed at Pioneer Stadium and Burnside High School welfare centres.  A third is on its way from Auckland. 

Free WiFi spots are available at Telecom in Riccarton Mall, Cafe Zero in Cashmere Rd and the Westpac Centre in Addington. 

Telecom customers in Christchurch can have their landline number diverted to another number for free.  Residential customers shouls call Telecom on 120 and business customers on 125.  A relief package from Telecom Wholesale is enabling other telecommunications retailers to support their affected home and business customers as well. 

Advice remains the same as below for customers.

VODAFONE 4.30PM 24/02:

14 cell sites are still down but we have achieved coverage to most of the city with only a few black spots in the east and some congestion in the Christchurch CBD area, managed through network maangement and optimisation.

The Vodafone truck, Optimus Prime, has now reached Christchurch and will provide support for customers from tomorrow morning.  It will be situated outside Hornby Mall and will offer a support facility, the ability for customers to recharge their phones, top up, purchase prepay vouchers and customer service information.  Free wifi access and ten phones for the public to make free calls will also be on offer.

CEO of Vodafone NZ, Russell Stanners, will travel to Christchurch tomorrow to meet with staff to assess their needs and how the company can assist.  He will join Chief Technology Officer Sandra Pickering and various other staff who have arrived to assist the local team. 

Vodafone Fiji has contribued $59,000.  The technology teams will continue to restore, refuel and reparent generators at cell sites over night.  Advice remains the same as below.

VODAFONE, 2DEGREES JOINT STATEMENT, 1pm:

Dual SIM card phones to aid Christchurch recovery efforts

2degrees and Vodafone are providing Christchurch Earthquake Operations centre staff with dual-SIM card mobile phones to aid the rescue and recovery effort.

The LG 310 phones, which carry 2degrees and Vodafone SIM cards, will provide rescue staff with simultaneous access to both networks as they continue their investigation of premises around the city.

The benefit of ‘dual SIM’ mobile phones is that if one company’s network is not operating, the phone can make calls and texts on the other’s.

The companies have pre-loaded 200 of the phones with credit so they are ready to use immediately.

Although Vodafone and 2degrees operate their own separate networks in Christchurch, the underlying GSM technology is the same.  

VODAFONE STATEMENT 11.30AM:

The Vodafone network is in a relatively strong position, from 55 sites out yesterday to only 14 down today, which are mainly in the central and eastern areas of the city and  are mostly due to power outages. At least two are confirmed to have physical damage which will take time to restore. 

The technology teams worked through the night to restore, refuel and reparent cell sites.  The priority is keeping generators in fuel, to ensure the sites continue working and our transmission network remains stable, while keeping staff safe.  Almost 60 generators that arrived yesterday are being deployed.

Retail stores are closed until tomorrow, subject to structural and electrical checks. 

Additional personnel have been flown in to assist and provide regular shift rotation.

Our mobile store truck Optimus Prime has now reached the South Island and will be deployed in Christchurch to provide support for customers later this evening. 

Vodafone is again partnering with The New Zealand Red Cross to provide support to those who need it.  Customers can donate either $3 or $5 to the cause by TXTing 'Quake' to either 333 ($3) or 555 ($5).  100% of all donations go to the NZ Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal, which will help those whose homes, livelihoods and wellbing have been affected by the quake.  Progress on their work can be seen on the Red Cross website.

Vodafone opened this fund with a $500,000 donation, which is made of £100,000 from the Vodafone Group Foundation and the balance from Vodafone New Zealand.  Vodafone UK has also set up a free text donation number for UK customers wishing to donate. 

Advice remains that customers use calls only for emergencies and limit mobile data usage (such as Facebook, Twitter and video or picture messaging) to avoid strain on the network. 

Customers are advised to alter their voicemail to let callers know time, date, location and that they are okay, in case mobile phone batteries go flat.
 

2DEGREES STATEMENT 11.40am:  The company now has sufficient generators to serve all sites without power, with engineers preparing and transporting them to key sites.

Service in eastern part of the city and CBD is today's focus. 

Challenges include variable power supply, which means some sites will transition between power, batter backup and generators and the time taken to install and refuel generators.  Refuelling is key for variable power supply but given the traffic on roads, fuel transport can also be a challenge. 

Customers are still advised to keep calls to a minimum. 

For those wishing to top up other 2degrees customers' phones, this can be done with a credit card by phoning 0800 022 022 or by transferring credit between phones.  For more details please see the site.

TELECOM STATEMENT 11.30am:
The network remains significantly affected by ongoing power issues in other areas of the city and physical disruption caused by Tuesday’s earthquake.

The focus is still on restoring and keeping central city cell sites up and running.  All operational sites have been connected to generators and technicians from around New Zealand are working to restore telecommunications services in the region.

33 generators have been delivered to Christchurch with the help of the New Zealand Air Force. 

More than 10,000 calls have been made from the 260 free payphones in Christchurch.

We are running a campaign around New Zealand to collect analogue, old-school plug-in phones that do not require mains power and drop them off to Christchurch residents.  New Zealanders are asked to drop off any spare analogue phones they have to Telecom stores during retail hours and these will be delivered to Christchurch.  So far, this campaign has had a good response.

Chorus is asking Canterbury residents who have problem with service to log the fault with their landline and internet service provider directly, to help Chorus ascertain the true network damage quickly.

People in Christchurch are advised to change their mobile message to say the time, date and their location plus alternative contact details if possible, in case their phone runs out of battery.  People are asked to limit calls to and from Christchurch to emergencies and use text first where possible.

For residents of Christchurch, 260 payphones in and around Christchurch are enabled with free calling for local, national and mobile calls.
 
Telecom has also made three WiFi Hotspots in Christchurch available for free. These WiFi sites are at Telecom Riccarton Mall, Café Zero (Cashmere Rd), and the Westpac Centre (Addington).
 
Telecom Retail customers can get their Telecom landline number diverted to another Telecom landline number for free. To enable this, residential customers can call us on 120 and business customers can call us on 125.
 
Customers with friends or family with a prepaid Telecom mobile can call 0800 32 32 32 and top up their prepaid credit on their behalf.
 

See also latest Gen-i update, 8pm.

TELSTRACLEAR STATEMENT 9:58AM:

The key issue for the TelstraClear network remains power

We now have about 115 cabinets on mains power in the affected area, and this number will increase as the power network is re-established.  About 40 cabinets are without power and a number of others with low batteries.  We have about 20 cabinets now being powered by generators and we are working to source more generators. 

The priority on restoring cabinets is: cabinets supporting key services and businesses and residential cabinets supporting customers on our medical registry first,  and then other residential cabinets.

Unfortunately three generators were stolen overnight, which means those cabinets are now relying on batteries again.

Around 16,000 of our customers on our HFC network remain without services, this will be mainly due to power outages.

Our hardship lines have been reactivated for  Christchurch and Canterbury customers. Residential customers requiring special assistance, such as free landline to mobile call diversions, can call us on  0508 24 24 11 (CH CH 11).  Business customers can call 0508 24 24 12 (CH CH 12) should they need assistance with their services.

VODAFONE STATEMENT, 5pm:
Vodafone is continuing to bring its cell sites in the east of the city back online after the Christchurch earthquake. The company is deploying generators to the sites which are currently without power, but this work is being hampered by difficulties moving around the city.

Customers sending TXTs between the three networks (Vodafone, Telecom and 2Degrees) may experience some delays in those TXTs getting through, but Vodafone expects any backlog to be cleared over the next few hours.

The company’s earlier advice requesting customers to save their phones for emergency calls, and use txt for non-critical communications, still stands. Vodafone also asks that customers limit mobile data usage (Facebook, Twitter, video/picture messaging, email) as this puts strain on the network and may hamper rescue efforts.

Vodafone also suggests that customers leave a temporary message* on their voicemail to let callers know the time and date, location and that they are OK. This provides some reassurance should mobile phone batteries go flat given the difficulties with power supply.

2DEGREES STATEMENT, 4.30pm:
2degrees cell sites in Christchurch are largely unaffected by the earthquake, however themain issue has been power supply, as batteries powering some sites have rundown overnight and during the day.

2degreesspokesman Mat Bolland says mobile coverage in Christchurch is being restored as generators are being installed throughout the day, although aftershocks andbattery power levels continue to prove challenging.

 “We’ve been able to restore coverage today in some areas as generators have been connected, and we have more on the way. However, service is likely to fluctuate in some areas if batteries run short,” he said.

“Our focus is on installing generators in areas where the power supply is likely to take longer to restore.”

Mr Bolland says yesterday’s calling volumes had caused congestion issues, but the network was managing volumes today.

“We’re still asking people in Christchurch or those contacting people there to text rather than call.”

2degrees also wants to clarify the area affected by the earthquake. While calls within, or to and from Christchurch have been impacted there are no issues in calling elsewhere in New Zealand.

“We’ve had some customers outside Christchurch ask if they should restrict phone use to help Christchurch. There’s no reason not to call and text freely if you live or call outside that area.”

TELECOM UPDATE 2.30PM:
Telecom is bringing in three additional COWs (Cell Sites on Wheels) to help boost mobile coverage and capacity to support ongoing relief work in key emergency response areas, including the Civil Defence headquarters at the City Art Gallery.

We’re doing everything we can to bring in additional power generators and fuel to keep sites using backup power up and running.

Telecom is starting a campaign to collect analogue landline phones from around the country to distribute to people in Christchurch without power who only have cordless landline phones which are reliant on power.

These ‘old fashioned’ corded analogue phones plug straight into a jack-point and don’t require mains power. We are asking people to drop spare analogue phones in to any Telecom store during retail opening hours. These phones will be distributed to those in need in Christchurch.

VODAFONE STATEMENT, 12.14PM:

Vodafone’s mobile network in the Canterbury region continues to be operational but due to the current demand on telecommunications we are experiencing some congestion.

Power supply to the west of the Christchurch CBD has been restored but there is no current restore time for power in eastern parts of the city due to the extensive damage to supply infrastructure. Many of our sites in that area are currently working on back-up power and others are currently off the air due to exhausted back-up power sources.

Generators have begun to arrive, sites are already being brought back online with further sites being connected as the morning progresses. Additional mobile cell sites are on their way to the region to be used where necessary.

We ask customers to save their phones for emergency calls, and use txt for non-critical communications. We also ask that customers limit mobile data usage (Facebook, Twitter, video/picture messaging, email) as this puts strain on the network and may hamper rescue efforts.

TELECOM STATEMENT 11.45am:  

Disruption to both landline and mobile services continues and power outages mean large parts of the network are still on backup power.  The network is still significantly affected with several cell sites inoperative and others heavily congested.

Focus remains on restoring and maintaining central mobile cell sites so survivors trapped in rubble can contact rescue teams.  All central city cell sites that are working have been connected to generators.

Two Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) have been sent to critical areas in order to boost mobile coverage and we are looking to deploy additional COWs from around the country, as well as technicians from around New Zealand.  111 services remain stable and available and any issues are likely due to network disruption due to damage, power outages or congestion.  People who have trouble connecting to 111 should try again, as 111 calls are being prioritised.

We ask that people nationwide refrain from making audio conference calls to preserve this facility for emergency personnel.

To minimise the stress on the network and to conserve back-up power we ask people to continue only using their phones for emergency calls. It’s important that we maintain integrity of the network to enable them to do ther job. For residents of Christchurch, 260 payphones in and around Christchurch are enabled with free calling for local, national and mobile calls.

Direct plug-in phones are the way to go as wireless phones will not be working if power has been lost.

See also Gen-i's 11am update.

TELSTRA-CLEAR STATEMENT 9.04am:
All of our Christchurch staff have now been contacted and all are confirmed as safe.

Our Christchurch buildings remain closed.  It will take some time for engineers to gain access to our buildings with their priority being on assisting search and rescue efforts.

We have around 60 of our cabinets running on batteries.  The majority of cabinets are either reaching the end of their battery power, or have lost battery power.

We are working to re-charge batteries with generators.  This work is being hampered by difficulties for contractors in being able to move around the city.

As power is returned to the city the number of cabinets without power will continue to fall.

The priority on restoring cabinets is: residential cabinets supporting customers on our medical registry, cabinets supporting businesses and then other residential cabinets.

Around 16,000 of our customers on our HFC network are without services.

To those at home who find themselves without power, we advise they revert to the old-style corded phones, if possible. These plug directly into the telephone jackpoint and do not require electricity to operate.

Meanwhile, we have reactivated the two hardship lines for Christchurch customers:

Residential customers who require special assistance, such as free landline-to-mobile call diversions, can call us on 0508 24 24 11.

Business customers can call 0508 24 24 12.

2DEGREES STATEMENT 10.32am:
2degrees’ Christchurch network, largely undamaged by yesterday’s earthquake, have a number of cell sites that have run out of back up power, so parts of the network are down. More than half the network has power, however. Efforts are focussing on installing and charging generators today.

Congestion is better but customers are asked to still limit their calls to emergencies, as battery power depends on how people in those areas are using the network.

VODAFONE, STATEMENT 7.50pm, 23/02:
Vodafone’s mobile network in the region continues to be fully operational, but due to the current demand on telecommunications we are experiencing some congestion.

Many of our sites are currently working on back-up power and others are currently off the air due to exhausted back-up power sources. We have a large number of portable generator sets currently en-route to Christchurch from other centres which we hope will be deployed in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Additional mobile cell sites are on their way to the region to be used as necessary and we will endeavour to maintain service to our best ability.

Vodafone’s main core network facility in Christchurch remains fully operational. Power supply to the west of Christchurch CBD is expected to be restored later tonight but there is no current restore time for power in eastern parts of the city due to the extensive damage to supply infrastructure.

We continue to recommend customers use text before voice and only use their phone for emergency calls to preserve both battery power of their handset as well as reduce capacity on the network.

Vodafone home and broadband customers may divert their calls to any nominated mobile phone number without incurring any of the usual diversion charges. See our website or call  0800 438 448 for full details.

Vodafone continues to work closely with Civil Defence, government agencies, other telecommunications providers and utilities to restore communications and provide assistance. Ongoing updates of the situation are also available on Vodafone’s website and Forum.

Disruption to landline and mobile services in Christchurch continues, and widespread power outages mean large parts of the network are currently working off backup power.

See also Gen-i's 11am update.