Vodafone New Zealand is a British owned telecommunications company, a subsidiary of Vodafone Plc operating in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's largest mobile phone operator, based in Auckland, New Zealand and was formed in 1998, after Vodafone purchased BellSouth's New Zealand operations. The company employs 1,300 people and has operations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and has an extensive dealer (franchising) network across the country.

The company has invested millions of dollars in their 3G network, but continues to maintain its 2G network improving capacity in congested urban areas. In October 2006, Vodafone bought ihug, New Zealands third largest Internet service provider and now provides Internet service under the Vodafone New Zealand brand name.Market share

At the time of purchase in November 1998, BellSouth had 138,000 customers. As of November 8, 2006, the company had about 2.1 million customers and a market share of 55% [1]. The company's main rival is Telecom New Zealand, New Zealand's second largest telecommunications company, behind Vodafone. Telecom had the advantage that they had a 6-year head-start on BellSouth, however this advantage has slipped away in recent years.

After Vodafone took over Bellsouth, they expanded their coverage of the network to compete better with Telecom. Vodafone has constantly increased its market share and now surpasses Telecom in mobile customers. However, despite having a seemingly huge customer base, the number of active customers is lower due to abandoned Prepaid accounts left by tourists.
[edit] Coverage

Vodafone operates a GSM (2G) mobile phone network at 900MHz and 1800MHz and a UMTS (3G) network at 900MHz and 2100MHz. They state that the network provides service in "around 97% of New Zealanders live, work and play".[2].
[edit] GSM Coverage

Vodafone operates a nationwide GSM service via the 900MHz band, but in certain areas with high demand there are additional GSM services operating in the 1800MHz band, usually from existing 900MHz cell sites, to provide more capacity. Areas with dual-band (i.e. both 900MHz and 1800MHz service) includes most major business districts and large shopping malls. In recent years Vodafone have also established some cell sites that only provide 1800MHz service where it is difficult to release spectrum for more 900MHz cell sites. Most phones sold since the mid-1990s support both bands.

2degrees, a recent entrant to the mobile telecommunications industry, provide GSM service alongside Vodafone in both the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. 2degrees also has a roaming agreement with Vodafone allowing 2degrees customers to access Vodafone's GSM network in areas where 2degrees does not have their own mobile coverage. There is currently no such agreement in the reverse direction, even though there are certain areas where 2degrees has service which Vodafone does not currently serve.
[edit] UMTS Coverage

In the main centres Vodafone operates UMTS (3G) service via the 2100MHz band. UMTS service is often provided from the same cell site as 900MHz and/or 1800MHz GSM services. Unfortunately, most of the existing 900MHz sites were built in the 1990s when it was not expected that a 2100MHz network would have to be built. Hence the existing 900MHz network was not at all optimised for 2100MHz service. Due to the fact 900MHz and 1800MHz signals travel farther than 2100MHz signals, there were many areas beyond 2100MHz coverage where UMTS phones would have to hand down to 900MHz or 1800MHz GSM service. In recent years Vodafone has established many individual 2100MHz UMTS sites to enhance 3G coverage.

In rural areas, however, Vodafone has installed 900MHz UMTS (3G) service alongside their existing 900MHz GSM (2G) service. In theory 900MHz UMTS service should have roughly the same coverage area as 900MHz GSM service -- so instances of UMTS service being handed down to GSM should occur far less often in rural areas due to the similar coverage footprint of the two services. However many older UMTS phones only support 2100MHz service so these phones will hand down to 900MHz GSM even though there is UMTS service available at 900MHz.
[edit] Phone numbers

In New Zealand all mobile phone numbers start with 02. Vodafone is allocated the 021 prefix with other networks being allocated other prefixes — such as 022 to 2degrees, and 027 to Telecom. However Number portability was introduced to the New Zealand market on the 2nd April of 2007 which now means that customers can bring, for example, their 021 prefixed number to Telecom. Within New Zealand, the network is sometimes referred to in speech by its prefix -- i.e. 'Are you 021?' instead of 'Are you with Vodafone?'.
[edit] 029 Prefix

Vodafone used to operate the 029 prefix on behalf of TelstraClear, in addition to their own 021 prefix. TelstraClear customers, mostly corporates, used to be able to get mobile numbers under this prefix. These customers, however, would be billed by TelstraClear instead of being billed directly by Vodafone. In 2007 this agreement lapsed, and in 2008 some of these customers were transitioned to Telecom New Zealand who serviced these initially by CDMA2000 technology. Those TelstraClear 029 customers not transitioned to Telecom New Zealand remained with Vodafone.
[edit] Comparison with Telecom 027 Prefix

Telecom New Zealand, Vodafone's main rival, has fixed 10-digit numbers under their 0272-0278 prefix, which means they have approximately 7 million possible numbers. Telecom originally had mixed 9-digits and 10-digits number using the older 025 prefix, following the same idea Vodafone is currently using. Telecom later introduced the 027 prefix with fixed 10-digits to simplify the numbering system when they introduced their CDMA network. They have now phased out the older 025 prefix since the prefix was attached to their now redundant AMPS and TDMA network.