Telecommunications company 2degrees has officially launched its 5G network.
(File image) Photo: Jae Park/ Unsplash
From today, 5G connectivity will be available to certain customers in central areas of Auckland and Wellington, as well as limited parts of Christchurch.
The network will be expanded into more suburbs in these cities, with more areas coming online weekly.
"This is the start of a new journey for 2degrees and our customers," said 2degrees chief technology officer Martin Sharrock.
"5G is more efficient, more flexible, provides much more capacity and is much faster."
The company said the launch of its billion-dollar network came at a time when customers were poised and ready to take advantage of the technology.
2degrees' roll out of its network comes more than two years after rivals Vodafone and Spark launched theirs.
In its initial stages, only 2degrees customers with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, Samsung Galaxy Flip3, or a Oppo Find X3 Pro phone will be able to access the network.
"Further Samsung, Oppo and Apple devices will be enabled for 2degrees 5G soon, along with a wireless plug-and-play 5G home broadband modem," the company said.
2 Degrees' entire network was built with equipment from Swedish telco Ericsson, making it the only telco to do so.
It had initially planned to use equipment from the Chinese telco giant Huawei but this was jettisoned after the government spy agency, the GCSB, turned down rival Spark's proposal to use Huawei's equipment in its 5G network, citing national security risks.