Private 5G, satellite resilience and final TDL

In this edition:

• Tū Ātea launches Centreport private 5G
• Telcos embrace satellites for resilience
• No TDL surprises

Tū Ātea presses play on Centreport’s Māori‑built private 5G network

CentrePort’s private 5G network is now live. The dedicated system was built for Wellington’s CentrePort by Māori‑owned Tū Ātea and is both the first commercial private 5G system in the country and the first 5G network to use Māori‑owned spectrum.

The network provides site-wide connectivity for port infrastructure. This includes cranes, trucks and sensors that handle around 4 million tonnes of freight each year.

Tū Ātea says it was engineered to address the port’s unique challenges, including signal interference from metal containers, moving vehicles and vessels.

Antony Royal, Tū Ātea CEO, says: “This network demonstrates what becomes possible when Māori enterprise partners with industry to build technology for the future.”

Fast communication essential

His client, CentrePort CEO Anthony Delaney, says reliable, fast communication is essential for staff safety and operational efficiency in a dynamic port.

The pair say the project represents a commercial application of Māori spectrum rights that could establish a model for private network deployments in other industrial sectors.

They say the network replaces previous wireless systems and is intended to improve operational resilience. Future plans for the 5G network include advanced sensor networks, remote monitoring and smart logistics.

No change as the draft TDL allocation becomes final

The Commerce Commission published its final 2024/25 TDL liability allocation determination which shows no changes from October’s draft document. A note in the final document reports no submissions were made after the draft was published.

As in previous years, the bulk of the $12.33 million levy will be paid by the four largest telcos: Spark, One NZ, Chorus and 2degrees. Collectively their bill comes to 82% of the total.

If we read the TDL as an industry report card we can deduce that One NZ, Chorus and 2degrees all made progress at Spark’s expense. The three smaller fibre companies: Northpower, Enable and Tuatahi all showed small increases in their share.

Telcos to embrace LEO satellites for network resilience

A report from Gartner says mobile network operators around the world are rapidly adopting low Earth orbit satellite connectivity. In Predicts 2026: CSP Technology and Operations Strategies, Gartner analysts say 70% will use LEO satellites by 2028 for resilient backhaul and expanded coverage.

This shift addresses persistent connectivity gaps in remote areas where fibre deployment remains economically unfeasible.

The transformation extends beyond satellites. By 2029, 80% of Tier 1 operators (that’s analyst-speak for major national or multinational carriers) will deploy real-time, streaming-based architectures to respond dynamically to customer demands.

Gartner says LEO backhaul offers performance comparable to fibre while providing critical disaster recovery capabilities and eliminating coverage black spots.

The report goes on to say industry leaders are pursuing hybrid infrastructure strategies, combining terrestrial fibre with LEO satellite links. This approach reduces rural backhaul costs—which can reach 20% of the total cost—while ensuring network resilience against terrestrial disruptions.

In other news...

• SpaceX signs up for Chorus wholesale — Newsroom
• Government anti-scam measures aim at stemming losses — Interest
• SpaceX may need to revisit Starlink resilience — The Register.
• Telcos are looking at where they can deploy AI in their networks — Reseller News

One NZ cyber security unit snares Lisa Fong

Former GSCB cyber security deputy director-general has joined Defend as the company’s chief resilience officer. Fong left the government security agency last month after 13 years with the organisation.

One New Zealand took a majority stake in Defend in 2022 and increased its investment in 2024.

Consultation starts on 2300 and 2600 MHz use

MBIE’s Radio Spectrum Management division has started public consultation on the future use of the 2300 MHz and 2600 MHz spectrum bands. Existing rights on these bands are due to expire over the next five years.

These bands are currently used for 4G and 5G mobile, as well as regional broadband. That is unlikely to change, but RSM has published a discussion paper looking at band configurations, allocation, spectrum caps and “the future of non-national rights”.

Spark survey highlights productivity gap

A survey of business leaders conducted for Spark found two thirds of those questioned think productivity is a national problem, while three quarters say their own business is ahead of the pack when it comes to adopting efficient processes.

Lifting productivity: Moving New Zealand from getting by to getting ahead also found varying views of what productivity means. A third say they use profit and customer satisfaction as measures of productivity. Just 24% connect productivity improvements to time savings and improved processes.

Reannz to offer AWS Direct Connect

An announcement on the Reannz website says the educational and research network provider can now connect members to local AWS Direct Connect services in the New Zealand region. Reannz says this means “low-latency, high-bandwidth links to AWS resources, hosted locally”.

2degrees offers free eSim trial

2degrees is offering a seven-day free eSim trial to non-customers. The deal lets potential customers test the company’s network for a week with 500 minutes of calling, 100 SMS messages and 15GB of data.

CEO Mark Callander says: “This trial is about backing ourselves. We’re confident that once people try 2degrees, they’ll want to stay... offering a non-strings-attached trial is the best way to show off our network.”

This time last year we reflected on resilience

In the November 22 2024 edition of Download Weekly we spoke to the TCF’s Paul Brislen on the telecoms sector’s readiness to cope with another cyclone. The short answer is there’s a lot more telecommunications resilience, but questions remain over power sector outages.

Five years ago Vocus, which had the CallPlus, Slingshot and Orcon brands among others, was considering a market float. That was part of a process that ultimately led to the 2degrees merger.

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