Northland boost 2degrees mobile and broadband services

“Connecting Kiwis with their loved ones or the people they do business with is at the heart of what drives us at 2degrees, and we’re thrilled that fast connectivity is going to reach the areas that need it,” said Mr. Matthewson.

Homes and businesses in Northland now have boosted 2degrees mobile and broadband services, thanks to the telco's role as part of the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG).

Five new cell sites have been switched on in the region this year, and two more are on the way in April, as part of a wider RCG programme that was established to connect and build essential broadband and mobile services for rural New Zealand.

"We are proud to invest more than $960m into our own 2degrees national mobile network during the last 10 years, and this covers most of the places Kiwis spend their time. Together with the mobile industry and Government, we're part of RCG, which is reducing the digital divide in remote areas," said Paul Mathewson 2degrees Chief Commercial Officer and RCG Board member.

"What matters most about today's news is what that means for Northland residents, especially at a time when connectivity matters more than ever. Some of these sites use 4G and some 3G and 4G technology, offering better mobile coverage and faster data speeds, and access to wireless broadband.

"Connecting Kiwis with their loved ones or the people they do business with is at the heart of what drives us at 2degrees, and we're thrilled that fast connectivity is going to reach the areas that need it," said Mr. Matthewson.

The 2degrees rural wireless broadband plan is $85 per month and it provides 170GB of data, with extra data available for purchase in 20GB blocks at a cost of $15 per block.

However, last week, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and the lockdown, 2degrees has lifted broadband caps until 30 June 2020 for all its broadband customers.

In a true sign of the times, for those sites that are 4G only, some older mobile devices may not be able to take traditional voice calls on the network. Customers with 3G devices can make web-based calls with the likes of Viber, WhatsApp or FaceTime.