4G now live on 2degrees

  • 4G now live on 72 sites in central Auckland
  • 4G sites to triple in wider Auckland region by the end of the year
  • 4G available in other main centres - Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch - by the end of the year with rollout to provincial areas beginning in 2015
  • 2degrees' 4G network is CAT 4 which can reach theoretical speeds of 150Mbps

2degrees’ journey into fourth generation mobile has been unleashed with the launch of 4G in central Auckland today.

All 2degrees customers with 4G compatible devices¹ will get faster mobile connectivity and the ability to do more than ever on the 2degrees 4G network in central Auckland.

Dubbed the next generation network, 4G can theoretically deliver data speeds of up to 150Mbps – more than 10 times faster than standard 3G connections.

2degrees CEO Stewart Sherriff says switching 4G on today marks another major milestone in the company’s history.

“In less than five years, we have built a national 2G, 3G, boosted 3G, HSPA+ network and now the next generation of connectivity has arrived at full throttle for our customers. We know our customers have been waiting for 4G and now is the right time to deliver it to them,” he says.

With the rise in connectivity and exploding demand for data services like video, music streaming, online access and mobile gaming, 4G is now an enabler that opens up a whole new world of opportunity for our customers.”

Mr Sherriff says the launch of 4G is slightly ahead of schedule in Auckland given the seamless installation and success of the trial.

“Our trial showcased 4G at its finest, recording some outstanding download and upload speeds. Whilst it will be difficult to maintain these speeds as more customers connect to the network, we believe our network is ready and up there with the world’s best performing 4G networks.”

Access to 2degrees’ 4G network will be at no additional cost and will operate with all existing 2degrees customer’s current data allocations.

Mr Sherriff says given the speed and capabilities of 4G, the company has taken steps to ensure customers still remain in control.

“The beauty of 4G means people can potentially download things in seconds – but that can also chew through data. We recently introduced ‘Worry-free data which warns people first that they are nearing their limit and then puts a hard stop on their accounts when they reach their data limit to ensure customers stay fully in control. Customers will then need to add an additional data pack.”

2degrees customers can also keep track of their data usage via the 2degrees app and can also activate ‘Spend Control’ to set a spend limit to ensure there are no surprises.”

The majority of 4G compatible devices bought from 2degrees will automatically connect to the 2degrees 4G network from 30th June. A small number of devices bought from other operators or suppliers will require a software upgrade which is likely to be carried out by the manufacturers by mid-July.

4G speeds will vary depending on handset, location etc.

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