Criminals agree: XT network 'faster in more places'

Cartoon / Peter Bromhead

According to the marketing campaign, Telecom's XT network is "faster in more places" - and it seems the nation's criminals agree.

The new network allows prisoners to beat cellphone blockers installed in jails by the Department of Corrections.

Mobile phone use is banned inside prison, partly because it allows criminals to organise and even carry out crime from behind bars.

Those in contact with prisoners said they had switched from the Vodafone network, favoured for its pre-pay and top-up facilities, to Telecom as the May 29 launch of the XT network drew close.

Corrections acknowledged holes in the system.

"As Telecom updates its technology over time, Corrections will in turn update its blocking systems," a spokesman said. Telecom said work continued on improving the effectiveness of the cellphone blockers. A spokesman said that would include the XT network.

Meanwhile, one XT customer is complaining his phone cannot send emails, despite a new ad promoting the speed at which images can be sent. The man said he was told by staff at a Takapuna Telecom store that their email server was based in America and problems with emails had not been resolved.