Vodafone tower is new for Reporoa

COVERAGE: The new Reporoa tower.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Vodafone has switched on its newly-built cell site at Reporoa providing improved mobile coverage and broadband options in the area.

Part of the Government's Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), the 25m mono-pole tower makes mobile coverage and wireless broadband available to more than 218 households in the area for the first time.

A final tower at Lake Okareka is also planned under the initiative, jointly providing mobile coverage and wireless broadband for more than 680 homes and businesses.

Vodafone has also upgraded its sites at Rotorua Airport, Ngongotaha and Lake Rotoiti improving coverage and capacity.

Vodafone regional business development manager Kevin Houlton said there was no question access to high-speed broadband made a significant difference to the lives of rural New Zealanders.

"The faster, 21MB wireless broadband modem introduced last year, allows customers to experience speeds in excess of some city dwellers, and provides a consistent and reliable service - far superior to dial-up speeds.

"Having high-speed broadband not only enables the use of farming technology and agri-innovation, but employment and study options for rural youth. It also gives farmers the opportunity to explore machine-to-machine technology, used for example to track fertiliser spreading, rainfall and frost temperatures, preventing waste and loss."

An additional benefit for rural communities is the extension of mobile coverage to include 4500km of rural New Zealand roads, which until now had been without.

"This is a massive benefit for areas like Rotorua in dealing with emergencies, transport logistics and road safety, previously hampered by limited coverage," Mr Houlton said.

Vodafone has completed 76 new sites and upgrades to 251, meaning new services for more than 130,000 addresses in rural New Zealand.

Under the five-year RBI plan, Vodafone will fund the upgrade of 387 existing cell towers and build a further 154 new towers in rural areas all over New Zealand to achieve government community coverage targets.

The addition of mobile and broadband coverage at Reporoa is another enhancement to the Vodafone SuperNet. Customers can find out if this service will be available at their address by checking www.vodafone.co.nz/rural-broadband.