Flying our Fight for Fair to Chatham Island

2degrees is taking its Fight for Fair to the air, flying three team members to Chatham Island, just days after the announcement that the island now has mobile connectivity for the first time.

The connectivity is thanks to the new Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) network that went live on Wednesday 1st December.

The team members will spend two days on the island, supporting residents to sign up to 2degrees, set up wireless broadband (WBB) for the first time, or connect their mobile phones. 2degrees already supports businesses and Government clients on the island and will be on hand to help these businesses get the most from the new services too.

“We are committed to helping as many Kiwis as possible be connected in the ways that suit them. In the spirit of Fighting for Fair and connection, we’ve partnered with two local stores on the island who are now selling 2degrees prepay sim cards,” says Paul Mathewson, 2degrees Chief Commercial Officer and RCG Board member.

“We also wanted to take our commitment a step, or a flight, further, so next week we will also have some of our dedicated people on the ground to help residents get connected in person, particularly helping them with their 4G wireless broadband needs.”

The 2degrees team will support locals to sign up to 4G wireless broadband for the first time, taking over wireless modems that are already set up and will be ready to use quickly. 

“The RCG have been working on the infrastructure to connect people on Chatham Island for some time, so when we heard the sites were ready to go live, we jumped into action to ensure our customers wouldn’t lose anytime accessing the network and reconnecting with family, friends and businesses. And just in time for Christmas,” says Paul.

Built as part of the Government’s Rural Broadband Initiative Phase 2, the RCG network enables 4G WBB, mobile voice, data and text services on Chatham Island for the first time.

Any residents should visit the dedicated 2degrees page for initial support, and the team will be in touch to discuss their connectivity needs.