Media Release
16 January, 2013
New RBI tower boosts broadband options and mobile coverage for Shannon
Vodafone has switched on its newly built cell site at Shannon in the Horowhenua District – part of the Government’s
Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) – providing improved mobile coverage and broadband options for residents and visitors
to the area.
The 25 metre monopole tower makes mobile coverage and wireless broadband available to over 470 households in the area
for the first time.
Another new tower is planned for Levin South in the next three years, jointly providing mobile coverage and wireless
broadband for over 1,500 homes and businesses. Vodafone will also upgrade two more of its existing four sites around
Horowhenua, including at Tokomaru and Levin. Sites at Foxton and Levin Central have already been upgraded.
Vodafone’s Regional Business Development Manager, Simon Bailey, says there’s no question that access to high-speed
broadband makes 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 fertilizer spreading, rainfall and frost temperatures, preventing waste and loss.”
An additional benefit of RBI for rural communities is the extension of mobile coverage to include 4,500km of rural New
Zealand roads, which until now have been without.
Simon adds: “This is a massive benefit for rural areas like Horowhenua in dealing with emergencies, transport logistics,
road safety and other real life circumstances previously hampered by limited coverage.”
Vodafone has ploughed ahead of the Government’s RBI targets, completing the construction of 74 new sites, and upgrades
to 248, meaning new services for over 130,000 addresses in rural New Zealand. At the half way point of the five year
programme the company has already secured the necessary agreements and consents for 65% of new sites.
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 government is funding
the civil construction costs of the new sites which are designed to accommodate Vodafone equipment and that of other
mobile and wireless operators.
The addition of mobile and broadband coverage at Shannon is another enhancement to the Vodafone SuperNet, New Zealand's
superior network for landline, mobile, broadband and TV.
Customers can find out if this service will be available at their address by checking online at
ENDS