Around 200 households in the Karangahake area will receive rural broadband and mobile coverage as Vodafone switches to two newly built cell sites this week.

The two new sites have been built under the Government's Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) at Karangahake and Turua.

Vodafone says wireless broadband will be installed by an arranged technician and installation fees will apply.

'In the unlikely event your installer determines you may not receive a good experience, the installation will not proceed and you will not be charged,” says a statement released from Vodafone.

In the Karangahake area, a 25 metre monopole tower provides service to an estimated 200 households, and in Turua a 30 metre monopole will serve an estimated 1400 households when it goes live this week.

Vodafone's regional sales manager Andrew Hitchfield says the new cell sites bring greater options to the community, with households and businesses now having choice in broadband service.

'Switching to wireless broadband can provide a consistent and reliable service to residents. It also offers the rural farming community the opportunity to increase production and monitoring through machine-to-machine automation.”

He says the new service delivers not only mobile coverage, but wireless broadband via a high performance modem, adding a WiFi network into the home.

Andrew says phone calls can also be made through this service by plugging an existing landline phone directly into the modem, removing the need for a landline connection.

Under the Rural Broadband Initiative, Vodafone has already upgraded five of its existing six sites around Hauraki, including Waihi, Waihi East, Mangatarata, Paeroa and Whiritoa South.

'This is a massive benefit for farming districts like Hauraki in dealing with emergencies, transport logistics, road safety and other real life circumstances that have been hampered by limited coverage,” says Andrew.

People can find out if this service will be available at their address by checking online at www.vodafone.co.nz/rural-broadband