Sydney switches on 4G+: Vodafone customers big winners
Better indoor data coverage in businesses, malls and car parks
Vodafone customers across Sydney can now experience vastly improved 4G mobile phone coverage after the company switched on its new 4G+ network.
704 new 4G+ sites have now gone live in New South Wales, with more to be switched on before Christmas.
Vodafone announced in July that it would boost the company’s 4G coverage to reach 95% of Australia’s metropolitan population by the end of the year. The NSW switch on follows recent successful rollouts in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, with Western Australia to follow in coming weeks.
More 4G+ in more places
Vodafone’s Chief Technical Officer, Benoit Hanssen, said that all customers in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong with 4G smartphones and tablets will now enjoy better data coverage in more places.
“Customers will immediately notice the difference following the mass switch on of new 4G+ coverage,” said Mr Hanssen.
“The type of spectrum we’ve used for our new network means customers’ devices will work better indoors, including homes, businesses, shopping malls and car parks.”
Vodafone customers “won’t need to upgrade their smartphone”
There are now more than two million devices connected around Australia to the Vodafone 4G network. Vodafone says the majority of its customers’ existing 4G devices are already compatible with the new 4G+ coverage.
“We’ve tested all the major smartphones to see how they perform on our new 4G network, including the popular iPhone 5 and 6 models and Samsung GALAXY. What it means for customers is that they’ll notice the 4G or LTE symbol on their phone more often, meaning they have more reliable download speeds,” said Mr Hanssen.
Low-band spectrum, such as 850MHz, is well suited to providing high quality indoor mobile coverage as the lower frequency signal penetrates buildings better than higher frequency signals. This complements the 4G coverage already provided through Vodafone’s 1800MHz spectrum, allowing customers to experience 4G in more places.
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Note to editors:
Vodafone 4G is available in selected areas and is only available with a compatible device with an active Vodafone prepaid recharge or a plan with Vodafone alerts.