Tauranga and the Bay Of Plenty will be one of the first regions to benefit from Vodafone New Zealand's regional investment program.

Manawatu and Bay of Plenty-Waiariki will reap the rewards of a turbocharged digital infrastructure investment program being kicked off by Vodafone New Zealand.

The accelerated network investment program for 2021 will see Vodafone upgrade or build more than 250 mobile cell sites around Aotearoa, and bring Vodafone 5G to more cities, with Tauranga and Palmerston North next in line.

The fast-tracking is deemed necessary after data use increased by 56 per cent during 2020 as more Kiwis relied on mobile technology and digital services to work, live and play remotely amid the impact of Covid-19.

Tony Baird, Vodafone Wholesale & Infrastructure Director, explains that Vodafone is turbocharging its investments so that customers have access to remarkable network technology.

'Each year we invest hundreds of millions of dollars into our digital infrastructure, but we're really ramping it up this year and beyond. Covid-19 has accelerated the use of digital services and data consumption, particularly in regional parts of the country, and we want to invest ahead of the curve for our customers.

'This means expanding our phone and internet connectivity over the coming few years, from Northland to Southland. We want to offer 5G to more New Zealanders as well as expand and strengthen our 4G coverage footprint both geographically as well as within buildings where mobile signals can sometimes be weaker.”

The Tauranga branch of Craigs Investment Partners is just one business looking forward to utilising the power of 5G.

'During Covid-19, we have been able to keep our business operating remotely which would have been almost impossible without the internet and phone connectivity,” says Stuart Prendergast from Craigs Investment Partners.

'It's important to us to have access to the latest technology for our customers and staff, and 5G is a great example of this.”

As part of the planning stage, Baird says that Vodafone considered physical infrastructure plus social and cultural outcomes, recognising the need to respond to recent rapid growth in regional towns and to contribute to digital inclusion. This includes using the Vodafone NZ Foundation's soon-to-be-launched Thriving Rangitahi Population Explorer, a tool that draws on government data to better understand the needs of young people and highlight areas of the country that would benefit from additional digital infrastructure.

'The Vodafone NZ Foundation has a big goal to halve the number of disadvantaged youth in Aotearoa, and we'll do this both by donating to awesome community organisations but also by integrating a win-win philosophy into how we approach our core business planning,” Baird says.

Nokia will be supplying the radio equipment for the regional investment program, continuing the long-standing relationship between the two companies.

'We are delighted to extend our strategic relationship with Vodafone New Zealand, as we embark together on building New Zealand's largest and best-performing 5G network,” says Tommi Uitto, president of Mobile Networks at Nokia.

'This is an important win for Nokia, and a vote of confidence in our technology by an established player with a leadership position to defend.”

For more information about Vodafone NZ 5G, please visit www.vodafone.co.nz/5G.