Technology

Can we rely on One NZ's satellite hookup with Musk's SpaceX?

17:17 pm on 3 April 2023

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One of the country's biggest telco's has dialled up Elon Musk to help with Aotearoa's patchy cell coverage and end blackspots.

One New Zealand, previously known as Vodafone, has signed a deal with the Musk's US firm SpaceX, meaning its mobile network will work with the company's next generation Starlink satellites from late next year.

Due to the country's unique geography One says only about 50 percent of the landmass currently has coverage.

And recent extreme weather events have raised serious questions about a lack of network resilience after communications went down for days in some areas.

One New Zealand's chief executive Jason Paris talks to Lisa Owen.