As recently predicted by NBR, Vodafone is finally taking its HSPA+ 3G network upgrade live this week.A commercial launch will take place in Auckland and Wellington pre-Christmas, with Christchurch and other centres to follow ahead of a full network roll-o
As recently predicted by NBR, Vodafone is finally taking its HSPA+ 3G network upgrade live this week.
A commercial launch will take place in Auckland and Wellington pre-Christmas, with Christchurch and other centres to follow ahead of a full network roll-out in six to nine months.
GM of networks Tony Baird told an Auckland press conference that customers would be able to access the boosted network at speeds of up to 28.8Mbit/s - or four times the plain vanilla 3G network's speeds.
Vodafone trails Telecom, which souped up its 3G network to HSPA+ earlier this year, but beats 2degrees, which does not plan a 14Mbit/s HSPA+ upgrade until 2011, with a further boost to 21Mbit/s planned for 2012 (the mobile newcomer has claimed disinterest in the speed wars, saying customers are more focussed on reliability and the price of data).
Mr Baird said that under ideal circumstances, a customer could hit 28.8Mbit/s (which would be higher than Telecom's theoretical maximum of 21Mbit/s).
However, like other carriers, Vodafone will launch the service a message about real-world speed expectations that are set some way below 28.8Mbit/s.
To take advantage of HSPA+, you need an HSPA+ data stick. Currently, there are no HSPA+ compatible phones.
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What's next?
Mr Baird said Vodafone would look at an LTE (or "4G") network upgrade pencilled in for 2014.
It would follow the round of government spectrum auctions anticipated for 2013 after the analogue TV switch off.
