2degrees has spent over $1 billion on improving its network in the past 12 years, a spend that has paid off, with the network earning recognition as best in its class from multiple industry bodies in 2021.

This included global leader in broadband network intelligence Ookla, who recently put mobile network operators through their paces and found 2degrees 4G mobile data network to be the most reliable, consistent, and best available in New Zealand for quarter 2 (Q2) 2021.

“Our purpose is to fight for fair to make New Zealand a better place to live, and everything we do starts with providing an excellent network for our customers, paired with great value and customer service,” says Martin Sharrock, Chief Technology Officer at 2degrees.

“Our network has grown extremely quickly since we launched 12 years ago, to cover 98.5% of the places Kiwis live and work, and we’re more confident than ever that we provide excellent service across Aotearoa.”

2degrees’ network has seen major improvements across the country, including along key transport routes in recent years. Nationally 2degrees 4G state highway coverage has increased by 20% between Q2 2019 and Q2 2021, extending 4G coverage to more than 2,000 kilometres of state highway.

Just some examples of network improvements are the number of 2degrees sites in Otago have increased by 100% since Q2 2019 (compared with Q2 2021), with state highway coverage increasing by 36%. The Manawatu-Wanganui region has seen the number of sites almost doubled, which has led to a 19% increase in state highway 4G coverage. In Canterbury there has been a nearly 16% increase in the state highway coverage thanks to 62 new cell sites across the Canterbury region between Q2 2019 and Q2 2021.

“It’s important to us to provide great coverage where Kiwis live and work, and on their journeys on New Zealand’s highways and byways,” adds Martin Sharrock. “We’re incredibly proud of the performance of our network and are thrilled to receive independent recognition.”

2degrees has won a raft of major network-related achievements in 2021 including:

New Zealand’s Most Reliable 4G Network, Ookla, Q2 2021
New Zealand’s Most Consistent 4G Network, Ookla, Q2 2021
New Zealand’s Best 4G Network Availability, Ookla, Q2 2021
Video Experience (Opensignal Awards – New Zealand: Mobile Network Experience Report May 2021)
Upload Speed Experience (Opensignal Awards – New Zealand: Mobile Network Experience Report May 2021)
4G Availability (Opensignal Awards – New Zealand: Mobile Network Experience Report May 2021)

This year has brought great success for the 2degrees network, and Martin Sharrock says the company has even more improvement in its sights. “Great network performance is our number one priority, and we’re continuing to invest in it, with our new 5G network build underway.”

To add to these successes, 2degrees has recently been named the winner of the Canstar Small Business Telecommunications Most Satisfied Customers award for 2021. The award recognises a range of different drivers which contribute to customer satisfaction, including network, and 2degrees scored 5 out of 5 stars in this category, the most of any telco included in the survey results.

2degrees has also this month been named winner of the People’s Choice Award for Broadband, and joint winner in Mobile Services, in the Consumer NZ 2021 Mobile and Internet Satisfaction Survey.

The post 2degrees – NZ’s Most Reliable 4G Network appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

New Zealand based ISP Orcon has completely reimagined itself with the future of working and home connectivity in mind.

Chief Executive Taryn Hamilton says the ISP has scrapped ‘business’ and ‘residential’ distinctions and will instead tailor technical solutions which accurately match every customer’s needs.

“Connectivity in the home is no longer just about smooth 4K streaming. We know people run business critical applications from their home office, and there’s a need to offer more than just a straight pipe. We saw a real opportunity to create an ISP straddling the reality of a blended world and offering new and innovative solutions to modern internet problems.”

Hamilton said the ISP will offer four core products, alongside its fibre, power and mobile services.

Wi-Fi Pro guarantees a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the home. Using address records and premise size data, Orcon will recommend an optimal number of Google Nest Wifi units for individual homes or small offices, guaranteeing strong Wi-Fi signal throughout.

Google Nest Wifi units provide a powerful signal using mesh technology, blanketing a location in Wi-Fi signal.

Orcon’s technical team will provide assistance with location and set-up if needed, and will send out additional units at no cost if additional coverage is required.

Hamilton says Wi-Fi issues are the number one cause of complaints ISPs see. “By using Google technology, house size data, and Orcon’s local technical support, these issues can easily be overcome.”

Orcon is launching a new 2000Mbps plan, reduced pricing on its 4000Mbps plan and is soon to introduce an 8000Mbps plan. Hamilton says that while the use-case for such ridiculous speeds is still outside most people’s needs, the ISP simply wants to offer the fastest plans possible. “We’re also seeing tech-savvy businesses take up Hyperfibre and ditch expensive dedicated fibre circuits,” he adds.

Orcon’s paid-for Priority Support bolt-on guarantees two things; if there’s a technical fault, a customer jumps the queue and sees an onsite technician arrive in hours, not days. Further, customers calls and emails are routed to the next available agent. “This provides peace-of-mind that any issues are fixed quickly for those running a business or working from home. In essence, we’re offering business grade service levels to anyone who wants it – in a smarter and cheaper way.”

Orcon launched its 4G Backup product in 2019 with small businesses in mind. If a customer’s main fibre connection goes down, the modem seamlessly switches over to 4G.

Hamilton says the service has proved popular with retailers and those reliant on EFTPOS, but post-COVID the market is bigger than that. “My own COVID experience confirmed that I need my internet to work, no ifs, buts or maybes. Now people work up to five days a week from home and can’t afford downtime in the middle of a call, an online presentation, trading stocks or submitting a last-minute report. With 4G Backup, there’s an extra layer of reliability ready to kick in when you need it most.”

Orcon’s plan reinvention is backed by a new website created by Gladeye and an advertising campaign directed by Joel Kefali, of Lorde’s Royals music video fame.

Hamilton says Orcon has plans for even more products which will distinguish it in the hyper competitive New Zealand ISP market. “Orcon is known for being first to market, whether copper unbundling, UFB, Gig services or Hyperfibre. That’s not changing and our commitment to innovating and improving broadband in New Zealand remains strong. Watch this space for the next round.”

The post Orcon Reimagined appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Netgear has combined the capabilities of the popular and award-winning Orbi Tri-band Mesh WiFi system with a 4G LTE Advanced mobile connection to provide an alternative when traditional wired internet – cable, fibre or DSL – connections are limited or unavailable.

This latest Orbi Mesh WiFi solution by NETGEAR comes in the form of the Orbi 4G LTE Advanced WiFi Router (LBR20), the industry’s first tri-band mesh system with LTE-A Cat 18 modem technology, which is perfectly suited for those who experience limited or no access to traditional wired broadband or require a network connection for shorter time frames. It offers a reliable network access for rural or outback areas with limited options for traditional wired internet connections, providing high-speed internet for learning, work and streaming. Also, ideally suited for those who have holiday homes where year-round connectivity is not a requirement, the Orbi 4G LTE Advanced WiFi Router has the flexibility to provide internet access when needed.

Additionally, the Orbi router can be used in conjunction with an existing wired service to provide a fail over, ensuring internet connectivity is consistent and uninterrupted. With 1.2Gbps over 4G LTE Advanced and the high-performance tri-band AC2200 WiFi, this new Orbi Mesh WiFi router is powered to provide an uninterrupted network connection for the smart connected home or small business.

“Today, we are living in an era defined by our ability to stay connected, as many of us are working and learning from home,” said David Henry, senior vice president of Connected Home Products for NETGEAR. “We have designed the Orbi 4G LTE Advanced Router to address this demand for uninterrupted internet access with its capability to provide connectivity over both 4G LTE as well as traditional wired network connections.”

With an integrated Cat 18 modem, the Orbi LTE Advanced Router will work with a SIM card from any local 4G LTE network provider. The sleek and modern design with its high-gain internal antennas will reach up to 185m² of WiFi coverage and can be easily extended by pairing with any Orbi Tri-band WiFi 5 (802.11ac) satellite to create a mesh WiFi system. The Orbi LTE Advanced Tri-band router features a patented dedicated wireless backhaul between the router and satellites to provide a robust uninterrupted data connection to extend the reach by an additional 185m² for each satellite added to the system. With the benefit of a single WiFi network name (SSID), uninterrupted seamless connectivity is supported while roaming from room to room.

As part of the Orbi family of mesh WiFi systems, the Orbi LTE Advanced Router can also be paired with additional satellites such as Orbi Voice or Orbi Outdoor to gain greater coverage and additional features, such as a smart speaker with Alexa voice assistant. The Orbi app makes it easy to get started with a quick installation, providing access from anywhere to manage and monitor your Orbi home network.

The Orbi LTE Advanced Router also includes the option to add NETGEAR Armor powered by Bitdefender and Circle Smart Parenting Controls to the user’s network.

To safeguard the home network in this time of heightened online activity, NETGEAR Armor powered by Bitdefender on the Orbi Mesh WiFi Systems provides award-winning cybersecurity designed to protect all internet-connected devices within the home from viruses, malware, stolen passwords and identity theft, whether at home or on the go. NETGEAR Armor is complimentary for a 30-day trial period. After the trial period, a yearly subscription is required in order to continue protecting connected devices.

Circle Smart Parenting Controls is the smart way for families to manage content and time online, on any connected device. With the app, parents can easily create daily time limits for apps and websites, set filter levels for each family member and pause internet by device or by family member.

Orbi 4G LTE Advanced WiFi Router is now available.

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The post Industry First 4G LTE Modem w. Tri-band Mesh – Netgear appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Spark is the first New Zealand mobile provider to support the long-anticipated eSIM technology in time for today’s launch of the latest eSIM compatible Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G.

Spark’s Mobile Lead, Renee Mateparae explains that historically, mobile devices required a physical SIM card to access the mobile network and this meant a physical SIM card slot had to be made available inside phones and any connected devices, such as wearables and watches.

“Today, with the introduction of eSIM (embedded SIM cards) Spark customers can enjoy a range of benefits including the ability to stay connected with unlimited voice, text and data on their Galaxy Watch 4G alone. This means customers no longer need to have their mobile phone nearby and can stay connected through the watch when hitting the gym or on a night out when you don’t want to carry a phone.”

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4G, on a new Unlimited Wearable Plan, will give Kiwis an undoubtedly liberating feeling as they will now have the ability to receive notifications, make calls, sends texts, and use apps such as Spotifyiii without needing to be within range of a phone or a Wi-Fi network.

“Spark has been working hard to get eSIM technology up and running as quickly as possible so customers can take advantage of the greater flexibility, choice and value. We see great potential in eSIM technology, and we’re excited to not only be the first to bring the capability to market but we are also looking forward to launching further functionalities along with compatible devices throughout the year,” says Renee.

For further details on Spark’s Unlimited Wearable Plan and list of compatible eSIM devices see the Spark NZ Official Site.

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