Wellington Airport becomes NZ’s first 5G connected airport

Tuesday, 3 December 2019, 8:42 am
Press Release: Vodafone

MEDIA RELEASE:

Wellington Airport becomes New Zealand’s first 5G connected airport

Vodafone offers travellers the chance to try 5G speeds for free before the network goes live

Tuesday 3 December 2019

As Vodafone New Zealand prepares to launch its 5G network, the company has teamed up with Wellington Airport to offer travellers a chance to try 5G speeds for free.

From today, travellers passing through Wellington Airport can try out 5G speeds for themselves by connecting to a Nokia FastMile 5G Gateway device.

Tony Baird, Vodafone New Zealand Technology Director, explains: “We wanted to give travellers the chance to try out our live 5G network before we officially switch it on across parts of the country. This free trial to test 5G over Wi-Fi will enable passengers to download their favourite content at super-fast speeds.

“We are proud to be the first provider to open up 5G for anyone to test, and are looking forward to turning on our commercial 5G network very soon.”

The free trial will last for one week (until December 9) and allow up to five users to connect to the 5G-wireless device for 5 minutes at a time.

“We expect people will be able to download a TV show potentially up to 10 times faster than they could over a 4G connection, or load a web page almost instantly over 5G without buffering or lag. This means they’ll have plenty of time to download an episode of their favourite TV series to watch on their flight.

“Fixed wireless access is a key use case of 5G, so we’re pleased to show Kiwis the potential that exists.”

Due to its faster speeds, low latency and increased capacity, 5G is able to support smart airports as well as better connected cars, businesses, schools and homes.

Wellington Airport spokesperson, Greg Thomas, said: “We’re always looking for ways to enhance the experience for travellers and having access to a fast and reliable mobile connection is becoming ever more important, especially for business travellers looking to stay in touch with colleagues, customers and suppliers.

“We’re pleased to partner with Vodafone to offer Wellington Airport visitors the chance to try 5G before the network is officially switched on.”

To get a taste of real 5G speeds, users need to have a Wi-Fi enabled device and be near the 5G stand located in the centre of the main terminal opposite gate 18. They simply connect to ‘Free 5G WLG’ with the password ‘Vodafone5G’ – and will be logged off after 5 minutes so another traveller can give it a go before their flight.

Vodafone New Zealand will soon be launching 5G in parts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Visit https://www.vodafone.co.nz/5G/ to learn more.

Editors notes:

- This wireless broadband trial will utilise 3.5GHz spectrum

- Link to release online: https://news.vodafone.co.nz/article/wellington-airport-becomes-new-zealands-first-5g-connected-airport

About Vodafone NZ:

Vodafone NZ is one of New Zealand’s leading digital services and connectivity companies, and we believe every New Zealander will thrive with access to the world’s best digital services. We offer more than 3 million connections to Consumer and Business customers, and our existing mobile network covers 98.5% of where Kiwis live, work and play. Vodafone New Zealand is owned by Infratil and Brookfield Asset Management. We are now a partner market in the Vodafone Group, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.co.nz

About Nokia FastMile 5G Gateways:

Nokia FastMile 5G Gateways are part of Nokia’s end to end 5G solution. They are self-contained residential/office devices that connect wirelessly to a 5G or 4G network while creating a better and faster WiFi experience on the premises. The 5G gateway supports 4G so that customers can experience the best possible WiFi service - by utilizing the best quality signals received. The plug-and-play solution is simple to install and uses a visual guide to help customers identify the right location on their premises to achieve the best performance.

https://www.nokia.com/networks/solutions/fastmile/#overview

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