2degrees says 4G mobile coming in July

The third of the telcos to roll out a 4G network - 2degrees - says it will start providing the advanced mobile data service in Auckland from July this year. Photo / NZ Herald

2degrees is to launch its 4G mobile internet network in Auckland this July.

2degrees' coverage for this much faster mobile internet service will be expanded across New Zealand's biggest city, followed by Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch by the end of 2014.

The extension of the coverage to "provincial areas" will begin in 2015, the company said.

The country's newest mobile company will begin a three-month 4G trial in Auckland next week. Vodafone and Telecom launched 4G services last year.

"As the newest player in the market, we have taken a very systematic approach to the rollout of our network to ensure we get it right for our customers," 2degrees chief executive Stewart Sherriff.

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"We started with 2G, then added 3G which has been the absolute focus of our efforts over the past three years. With our customer's ever-increasing appetite for data coupled with more LTE-capable handsets available, we feel it is now the right time to extend our capabilities to the next generation of mobile."

"Digital connectivity will be made ubiquitous by 4G. While the full potential of 4G is still yet to be explored, what we can be sure of is that it will allow for a whole new world of opportunity that our network is now ready for," Sherriff said.

"Our customers are using more than triple the amount of data they were two years ago and it has become an integral part of our work and personal lives. There is no doubt that 4G will transform our lives further, and we are looking forward to the exciting possibilities it will provide to our customers," he said.