2degrees is a telecommunications provider that operates in New Zealand. Its mobile network launched on 4 August 2009 after nine years of planning. 2degrees offers prepaid and pay-monthly monthly mobile services as well as fixed-line phone and broadband services.
It has spent over NZ$550 million building its mobile network, which as of 2016 covers Ashburton, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Hastings, Invercargill, Levin, Napier, Nelson, Oamaru, Palmerston North, Queenstown, Rotorua, Taupo, Tauranga, Timaru, Wanganui, Wellington and Whangarei. The network works with GSM-900, UMTS-900 and UMTS-2100 mobiles, similar to the competing Vodafone network. In areas without 2degrees coverage, handsets roam on Vodafone NZ's GSM and UMTS network. 2degrees refers to areas where it has its own 3G coverage as "mobile broadband zones".
As of 2009 2degrees had owners based in the United States, the UK and New Zealand.
In March 2015 2degrees announced it had acquired Snap, a broadband-based ISP, and from 28 July began offering broadband and home-phone services (in addition to existing mobile services).
Video 2degrees
Naming
The name of the company refers to a local variation of the six degrees of separation concept.
Maps 2degrees
Network
2degrees was formerly known as NZ Communications and previously as Econet Wireless. Planning began in 2000 but details were not revealed until 11 May 2009 and pricing was announced a day before launch. 2degrees accepted its first customers 4 August 2009 for 2G calling/txting only. A year later on 3 August 2010 3G was turned on and new data plans announced for use in areas where 2degrees has its cell towers. 2degrees launched its 4G network in 2014.
Coverage
2degrees initially did not have nationwide mobile coverage, but its own network has been extended to many towns, cities and rural areas. Users can seamlessly roam onto Vodafone's network in places where 2degrees has no cell towers however 2degrees now has coverage of 97.5% of places New Zealanders live and work.
Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI): 2degrees mobile phones can roam onto RBI cell sites. These rural cell sites are open access for all internet providers in New Zealand to buy wholesale packages and retail them to rural customers for household and business use. 2Degrees mobile phones automatically roam to these cell sites were available due to the roaming agreement with Vodafone. RBI has Vodafone installing 154 new rural cell towers and upgrading 265 towers to provide 3G and later 4G services, between 2011 and 2017.
2degrees towers have been deployed in these locations with 2G and 3G coverage (additionally 4G where noted):
2degrees also operated a Wi-fi network in Wellington city. The network was on a trial with some selected members of the public (about 20,000 people).
As of 2014, 4G LTE services are on (band 3) 1800 MHz. In addition (band 28) 700 MHz is on trial in central Auckland; 700 MHz ought to be able to penetrate large buildings.
On 15 September 2017, 2degrees announced they would be shutting down the 2G network in March 2018.
Vodafone tower coverage
In some places where 2degrees has no telecommunications towers, users can roam on the Vodafone New Zealand network. While roaming on the Vodafone network, users cannot use broadband "zone data packs", but minutes, text messages and included "NZ carryover plan data", and "NZ data packs" can be used.
As of July 2015, the following towns have no 2degrees telecommunication towers (2degrees have purchased a licence to build a tower in towns in bold):
Standards and technologies
The company provides services on its own cellular network, which supports EDGE. The network has a few hundreds of cell sites installed, which initially cost approximately NZ$250 million to develop (up to 2009). Since 2009, 3G was rolled out to the main centres and then to regional cities and towns. Then in 2014 4G LTE to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga / Mt Maunganui. 2Degrees said they had spent $550 million developing the network as of 21 February 2014.
New features
2degrees have a number of new features not found on other New Zealand mobile phone networks, including:
- Using USSD (*100#) to check and top up account balance. The quickcode *100*1# can be added as a speed-dial to most phones to quickly check balance.
- Using *101# to display the phone number of the sim.
- Using *110# to display the number of minutes and data left until the end of the billing period.
- The ability to get settings from the SIM menu
- EDGE data services on 2G. The only other 2G provider, Vodafone, supports GPRS but not EDGE.
MNC and dialing codes
The mobile network code is 530-24. NZ-24 or NZ Comms may be displayed on the mobile phones network list. On modern phones, with recent firmware 2degrees will be displayed.
The native STD prefix for the network is 022. New Zealand has mobile number portability, so customers switching from other networks may keep their existing mobile number.
Inbound roaming
2degrees (still called NZ Communications on the Three website and Telstra roaming site) is open to customers with handsets from some foreign networks, including Three, Telstra and Orange UK. These foreign customers can place calls using 2degrees cell sites in cities, towns and localities New Zealand described as broadband zones by 2degrees.
Expansion
In February 2011 2degrees announced that they had obtained financing for a further $100 million network expansion.
2degrees have an ongoing network expansion in place, having recently secured financing to further expand its network and roll out a 4G LTE network.
History
In 1999, the New Zealand Government auctioned off 3G spectrum radio spectrum licence. Rangiaho Everton claimed that the auction breached the Treaty of Waitangi because she believed radio spectrum is taonga and the government has no right to sell it. Everton lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal, which was upheld. It was not until Labour won the 1999 election that M?ori were allocated one of the four 2 GHz 3G spectrum licences at a discounted price plus $5 million to develop it.
In 2009, it was announced that NZ Communications (as 2degrees was called then) had signed a roaming deal with Vodafone New Zealand. The deal allowed NZ Communications' customers to automatically roam onto Vodafone's 2G network. At the time the deal was announced, it was suggested the deal might also be expanded to include roaming on Vodafone's 3G network too at NZ Communications' request.
Currently, 2degrees is owned by Trilogy International Partners, a US venture capital firm specializing in mobile networks (58.66%), Communication Venture Partners, a London-based company that invests in telecommunications and related software businesses (27.13%), Te Huarahi Tika Trust (10.17%) and KLR Hong Kong (0.50%). In July 2009, General Enterprise Management Services, a Hong Kong-based private equity fund, sold its 25.76 percent shares to Trilogy.
On 30 March 2013, 2degrees CEO Eric Hertz and his wife Kathy were killed when their twin-engine Beechcraft Baron, which was flying from Auckland to Timaru, ditched in the sea near Raglan at about 12:30pm after reporting engine failure. The plane was found at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Kawhia, 56 metres underwater, on 2 April. In a statement, Hertz' family thanked New Zealanders for their support. Hertz was succeeded as CEO of 2degrees by chairman Stewart Sherriff.
The company is part of New Zealand Telecommunications Forum.
Retail
2degrees has 56 retail stores, including fifteen throughout Auckland, one in Wellington City, one in Paraparaumu, four in Hamilton, two in Tauranga, two in Christchurch and one in Dunedin. The company also runs several smaller kiosk stores, which tend to be located in shopping centers. They also offer their products at 1,523,741 supermarkets, petrol stations and convenience stores.
Services
2degrees halved the prevalent pricing for prepay mobile in the New Zealand market, with voice calls costing 44 cents. SMS messages are charged at 9 cents. Customers will receive 300 to 500 free SMS messages per $30-$50 prepay top-up. Also, customers will receive a special rate of 22 cents for on-network and landline calls, as well as 2 cents per on-network SMS, provided they have topped up within the last 30 days.
Mobile Zone Data became available after 3G coverage was turned on. In regards to SIM swapping, it is worth noting that the customer must have a blank SIM card which may only be purchased from the following retailers: 2degrees Mobile (walk-in & online purchases), Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, Warehouse Stationary and JB Hifi. 2degrees SIM cards purchased from stores such as supermarkets are not blank.. 2degrees now also provides an online SIM swap option in which the 18-digit SIM number is required which can be found inscribed on the SIM itself.
Phone numbers
2degrees auctioned 85 special numbers on New Zealand auction website TradeMe for charity, raising over $65,000. The highest selling number was 022 888 8888, likely due to the number eight being considered lucky in some Asian cultures. New customers can choose their own number, on the 2degrees website.
Marketing
2degrees has run commercials featuring Rhys Darby, a comedian known for making jokes and sketches about New Zealand life. They were filmed on location by Film Construction Ltd, a television commercial and digital content production house in Auckland.
See also
- Vodafone New Zealand
- Telecommunications in New Zealand
References
External links
- 2degrees mobile
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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