While many people are looking forward to switching off from work over the coming weeks, staying connected has never been more important than ever. But it is more likely to involve streaming a great show on TVNZ+ instead of checking emails!
As Kiwis hit the road and head to the beaches and beyond this summer, we see some changes in how and where One NZ customers connect.
Last summer we saw around ~30% uplift in mobile data usage, with spikes of over 50% during the Christmas and New Years Eve peaks, and expect the same this year. At the extreme end, last year mobile traffic in the beautiful Opito Bay in the Coromandel spiked at 306% higher than usual!
We want our customers to maintain great experience with the extensive traffic migration to holiday destinations, and our teams have been working hard over the past few months to prepare.
We’ve been investing in our mobile network right across Aotearoa, with 5G coverage now reaching more than 50% of the population. We’ve also increased VoLTE and WiFi Calling capacity to enable crystal clear voice calls wherever possible.
We will have moveable cell sites at big events, such as Northern Bass, Rhythm and Vines and Rolling Meadows, plus busy beach locations such as Whangamata.
Over the holidays, we’ll have teams rostered on to monitor the network 24/7. This includes increased monitoring and capacity management at 25 shopping malls, major airports and ports.
It’s worth noting that while we have added capacity as best as possible, we do expect some isolated and rural areas to get busy with limited capacity, such as on New Years Eve.
But to provide another option in the even-more-remote areas, we have just launched One NZ Satellite TXT, enabling One NZ customers with an eligible phone and plan to send and receive text messages when they have clear line of sight to the sky. This extends our award-winning mobile network and provides an additional layer of protection for New Zealand’s traditional communication networks.
Wishing everyone a safe Christmas and enjoyable holiday period!