2degrees expands coverage, Chorus traffic high post-lockdown

2degrees stretches network further in rural areas

Mobile carrier 2degrees has signed an infrastructure sharing agreement with Vodafone.

The deal gives 2degrees access to around 200 Vodafone cellular towers. Most of them are in less densely populated areas.

Vodafone has installed Multi Operator Radio Access Network (MoRAN) hardware on the towers. This means 2degrees can use its own spectrum. The arrangement is similar in some respects to the sharing technology used by the Rural Connectivity Group.

Improved speeds

2degrees says customers will notice improved download speeds, as well as better video calling and streaming.

Adding these towers means 2degrees can fill in the remaining gaps in the company's coverage. Before the agreement the 2degrees network reached about 98.5 percent of the population but covered considerably less geographic area than Vodafone or Spark.

2degrees says the move will see an end to national roaming and all customers will "receive the full 2degrees experience".

Martin Sharrock, 2degrees' chief technology officer, says; “Using our spectrum in these areas for the first time is like adding a new motorway for our customers to use, they move from sharing our partners’ network to a network dedicated just for 2degrees. This is possible without building new cell towers.”

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