Christchurch Earthquake

5.00pm Friday 25 February 2011

Update

The Vodafone network remains operational and largely unchanged since this mornings update. Below are areas of the Christchurch which have cell sites that have been impacted by the earthquake. They still may be receiving service from adjacent cell sites but they will have reduced capacity and coverage;

- Redwood South

- Waimairi Beach

- Burwood

- Dallington

- Avondale

- Chisnall

- Aranui

- Linwood

- Linwood North

- Linwood South

- Linwood East

- Woolston West

- Hoon Bay

- South Brighton

We are in the process of deploying additional COWs (Cell Sites on Wheels) to the following sites;

- Arts Building – Civil Defence Command Centre

- Burnside High – Welfare Centre

- Cowels Stadium – Welfare Centre (this will also serve Hoon Bay)

- Pioneer Stadium – Welfare Centre

- Latimer Square – Triage Centre

Our technology teams will continue to work tirelessly through the weekend to ensure the network remains live, and to improve coverage to those areas above.

Our mobile store truck – Optimus Prime is in Christchurch and is providing much needed support to the public. Optimus Prime is located outside Hornby Mall and is offering customers a support facility, the ability to recharge their phones, top up and purchase prepay vouchers, obtain customer service information. It is also providing free WiFi access and ten phones for members of the public to make free calls.

Vodafone customers have donated more than $350,000 via the Red Alert TXT appeal in association with the Red Cross. This already exceeds the total amount raised following the 4 September quake.

Vodafone NZ, Vodafone UK and Vodafone Fiji have kicked off our Red Alert appeal by contributing more than $550,000. Vodafone Hutchison Australia have just announced they are to contribute AU$100,000 to the Australian Red Cross New Zealand Earthquake 2011 appeal. Vodafone Qatar has provided a credit to its Kiwi customers to help them make calls home. These are heartfelt gestures and give an insight into the concern felt well beyond the shores of NZ.

Vodafone NZ customers can donate either $3 or $5 to the cause by TXTing ‘Quake’ to either 333 ($3 donation) or 555 ($5 donation). 100% of all donations will go to the NZ Red Cross 2011 Earthquake Appeal.

Vodafone also suggests that customers leave a temporary message** on their voicemail to let callers know the time and date, location and that they are OK. This provides some reassurance should mobile phone batteries go flat given the difficulties with power supply.

The next media update will be sent Saturday.

-ends-

Temporary greeting instructions

**1 Dial 707 for VoiceMail.

2 Select Temporary Greeting from the main menu (Option 6) - this will take you straight to Step 7. Or select Personal Options (option 3).

3 Select Personal Setup (option 4).

4 Select Personal Greeting (option 1).

5 Select Temporary Greeting (option 2).

6 Record the greeting, press #. The greeting will be played back to you.

7 Select one of the following:

Press 1 to Record again

Press 2 to Save

Press 3 to Cancel

To remove your temporary greeting call 707 and press 5 to delete.

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