2degrees turns on 5G in main centres

Friday, 25 February 2022

Rather than an upgrade to 5G, 2degrees is building out an entirely new network with Sweden’s Ericsson, starting in the main centres.

2degrees has turned on a new mobile network able to provide 5G as well as 3G and 4G services in and around the centres of Auckland, the Wellington cbd, and parts of Christchurch.

The new network being supplied by Sweden’s Ericsson has let 2degrees join Vodafone and Spark in providing 5G, and is replacing its existing networks supplied by China’s Huawei in the parts of the country where it is being rolled out.

The company first announced it would partner with Ericsson to build a 5G mobile network in April, after its longstanding technology supplier Huawei was shut out of the 5G market by a de facto “Five Eyes” ban.

* 2degrees suffers widespread outage at same time key merger details unveiled

Three benefits of 5G technology (video first published in 2019).

* 2degrees to build 'almost brand new network' with Ericsson to get into 5G

It plans ultimately to swap out equipment on 700 of its 1800 cellsites so it can offer the latest generation of mobile technology.

2degrees chief technology officer Martin Sharrock said about 65 Ericsson cellsites should be live in the three cities on Monday, with sites in more suburbs in the cities coming online week-by-week through the year.

“If you have a 5G-software enabled device, you will obviously notice the 5G sign on the phone and performance will change markedly as well.”

Only three smartphones will immediately be able to make use of the 5G service, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3, and the Oppo Find X3 Pro, but customers with 4G-capable phones should also see speed improvements.

More Samsung, Oppo and Apple devices would be enabled for 2degrees’ 5G service soon, along with a 5G home broadband modem, 2degrees said.

Sharrock said 2degrees aimed to have 100 Ericsson cellsites turned on “very soon” and more than 250 by the end of the year.