Vodafone to up network speeds

Vodafone is rolling out higher speeds on its 3G mobile network.

The company would deploy 28.8 megabit per second capability, skipping two generations of upgrades after a trial of a 21Mbit/s service in central Auckland earlier this year, Vodafone networks general manager Tony Baird said.

The speed was a theoretical maximum, and depended on factors such as how many other nearby users there were and how close the customer was to the network.

Vodafone's current best speed was 7.2Mbit/s.

The upgrade, worth tens of millions of dollars, will be introduced in central Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch this year, and further afield next year.

"Should Vodafone be successful in its Rural Broadband Initiative we will begin deployment in rural and remote parts of New Zealand, giving a much needed productivity boost to rural New Zealand," Mr Baird said.

Vodafone was looking to offer devices able to be used on the upgraded network, such as PC cards and USB modems, early next year.

Vodafone was also extending the life of its GSM network to at least 2020.

- NZPA