4.5G now in Cambridge

A new 4.5G Spark tower was switched on last week

A new 4.5G Spark tower was switched on last week

Wireless broadband and faster mobile data is now available to Cambridge residents after a new 4.5G Spark tower was switched on last week, giving locals access to the fastest mobile data speeds in the country.

The upgrade puts the Spark network slightly ahead of devices, with no commercially available modems or phones supporting the entire range and combination of 4.5G features at the moment. However, most new high-end phones support many 4.5G features, with the potential to propel their speeds to between three and five times faster than regular 4G.

The launch also allows Cambridge residents to benefit from Wireless Broadband as an alternative to fixed-line services – for low to moderate data users of home broadband.

Developers say the deployment is an important stepping stone to 5G, which is likely to become commercially available sometime in the next few years.

Last week’s launch of 4.5G in Cambridge and Turangi follows other tower deployments in Christchurch and Queenstown, making a total of 10 sites, with 10 more due to be launched in New Zealand towns over the next 12 months.

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