Vodafone New Zealand has launched the nation's first commercial LTE network, well ahead of archrival Telecom NZ.
Vodafone NZ said its 4G network is now available in parts of Auckland, New Zealand's most populous city. The rollout will be extended to Christchurch in May, and to Wellington in August or September.
The network will use the 1,800-MHz band as well as refarmed 900-MHz 2G spectrum, according to Nokia Siemens, which has the contract for the deployment.
NSN will provide its Single RAN infrastructure, as well as its MSS and MGW equipment and a CSFB voice system for voice services.
Vodafone NZ is offering the service for an entry-level price of NZ$40 ($33) per month, which includes 500MB of data. The network has launched with six 4G-capable devices - including the Galaxy SIII, iPhone 5 and the iPad 4G – and Vodafone NZ plans to have 12 devices available by year-end.
The timing of the operator's launch will give it a substantial head start on Telecom NZ, which plans to launch its LTE network by the end of the year. Telecom NZ commenced LTE trials last year.
Third-place mobile operator 2degrees also plans to deploy LTE, but has not given a schedule.