Following the wild weather that is currently hitting Aotearoa and set to continue over the New Year’s holiday period, the One NZ Satellite texting service has been opened to more customers across the North Island, down through the South Island as far as Canterbury.

At present, despite the weather, One NZ’s network is operating well - however more than 50 cell sites are impacted by local power outages in different regions (as of midday on 30 December). This means sites are either down or operating on battery back-up power, likely at reduced capacity, impacting mobile coverage.

The One NZ Satellite service delivered in partnership with Starlink Direct to Cell lets One NZ customers with a VoLTE-capable roaming device the ability to send and receive text messages at no extra charge.

This means most 4G and 5G phones can access basic messaging (SMS), and you can check your device eligibility here: https://one.nz/our-networks/volte/

Ian Sutton, Head of Network Services says: “By opening the satellite network up, we’re enabling more One NZ customers to send or receive basic text messages. We know how important connectivity is for our customers — especially during the holiday season — and we want to help keep them in touch in an emergency.

“With Kiwis spread around the country and attending festivals or camping in sometimes remote areas, we wanted to provide another communications safety net via satellite-to-mobile services.”

Satellite texting means customers could text a loved one and ask them to call 111 or emergency services if needed, if they are in an area where traditional mobile or connectivity networks are disrupted, and they have line of sight to the sky. This service isn’t intended to replace the existing mobile network but acts as a vital safety net, a backup that can save lives during disaster.

For more information about the Satellite service, please visit: https://one.nz/why-choose-us/satellite/

For the latest information on the status of our network, including evolving mobile site outages, please visit: https://one.nz/help/network-status/